The prevalence of virtual business meetings has increased significantly due to the growing trend of remote working. However, some employees have reported feeling exhausted by these virtual meetings. Recent research suggests that this phenomenon may be more pronounced than previously believed.
Researchers in Austria conducted a study to investigate the effects of “Zoom fatigue” on the physical and mental health of individuals who experience it. They monitored the brain and heart activity of 35 university students, using electrodes attached to their heads and chests, while they attended a 50-minute lecture. However, not all the volunteers attended the lecture in the same manner: 18 participated in person and 17 remotely dialed in.
This study revealed that the effects of “Zoom fatigue” go beyond just a decrease in energy. The students who participated in the video conference version displayed greater signs of sadness, drowsiness, and negativity compared to those who attended in person. They also appeared to be less attentive and engaged.
“The participants felt significantly more tired, drowsy, and fed up as a consequence of participation in the videoconferencing session, if compared to participation in the face-to-face session; moreover, they also felt less lively, happy, and active,” the researchers explained in their paper.
While this study has its limitations, such as the small sample size, it contributes to the existing body of scientific literature on the impact of the more or less intensive use of video conferencing tools. Psychologists, communication specialists, and cognitive scientists agree that this technology disrupts concentration and the natural flow of exchanges, as it leaves little room for spontaneity.
In addition, the stress induced by seeing multiple people’s images on the screen also contributes to the fatigue. The increase in the number of participants in the conference call considerably reduces the size of these faces, which can create discomfort or a desire to escape.
As a result, the authors of this study recommend that companies explore different strategies to make remote meetings more enjoyable. “Based on our research results, we recommend a break after 30 minutes, because we found that after 50 minutes of video conferencing, significant changes in physiological and subjective fatigue could be observed.
Furthermore, utilizing features like ‘speaker view’ (Ed. a large view of the person currently speaking) to mitigate the intensity of perceived continuous eye contact could be helpful,” said study co-senior author, René Riedl, of the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria in Steyr and Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria, quoted in the scientific publication, IEEE Spectrum.
René Riedl and colleagues emphasize the importance of not disregarding “Zoom fatigue,” and view video conferencing meetings as a potential supplement to face-to-face interaction, rather than a substitute for it. – AFP Relaxnews
