The Downside Of Virtual Meetings

1 min

A warning about Zoom fatigue comes from a Stanford University professor who looked at the psychological consequences of spending hours per day on Zoom and similar platforms. Communication Professor Jeremy Bailenson maintains that too much eye contact during video chats as well as the size of faces on screens is unnatural, and that our brains interpret this as an intensive situation leading to mating or conflict. Bottom line: if you’re using Zoom for many hours, you’re likely in a hyper-aroused state. Bailenson also noted that the social anxiety of public speaking is one of the biggest phobias in our population. Until the platforms change their interface, he recommends taking Zoom out of the full-screen option and reducing the size of its window relative to your monitor to minimize face size, and to use an external keyboard to allow an increase in the personal space bubble between yourself and the grid.

Source:
Jeremy N. Bailenson, “Nonverbal Overload: A Theoretical Argument for the Causes of Zoom Fatigue,” Technology Mind and Behavior, February 23, 2021

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