Zoom fatigue

Last updated

Zoom fatigue is tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with the overuse of online platforms of communication, particularly videotelephony. [1] The name derives from the cloud-based videoconferencing and online chat software Zoom, but the term can be used to refer to fatigue from other video conferencing platforms (such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Skype).

Contents

The term was popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the use of videoconferencing software became common due to the effects of isolation and widespread lockdowns. [2]

The phenomenon of Zoom fatigue has been attributed to an overload of nonverbal cues and communication that does not happen in normal conversation [3] and the increased average size of groups in video calls. [4]

Symptoms

Physical

While remote work was frequent in the software services and information technology sectors, the COVID-19 pandemic forced more than 85% of other services and sectors to adopt remote work. This novel concept of working from home (WFH) for other sectors opened up new challenges among households, such as lack of dedicated workspace or multiple remote workers in a family. [5]

The most important and serious physical consequences of Zoom fatigue affect eyes, shoulder (provoking stiffness in the back), articulations (generating arthritis) and the cervical spine. [6] The most common and immediately visible physical symptoms of Zoom fatigue are headaches, migraines, eye irritation and pain, blurred and double vision, and excessive tearing and blinking. Beyond these, there are other consequences affecting the body from a mental point of view that. Those are less evident but are also problematic because they can affect the body for a long-term period, while being difficult to diagnose and consequently to treat. Some of them are decreased attention, sleep disorders, depression, depletion of mental or physical capacity and inertia. [7]

A study by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) conducted during the first two weeks of the COVID-19 lockdowns found that more than half of the survey respondents reported new aches and pains, especially in the neck (58%), shoulder (56%) and back (55%), compared to their normal condition. The study also found that poor sleep and increased risk of exhaustion were also causes of concern. The majority of respondents reported a loss of sleep due to worry (64%) and corresponding increased symptoms of fatigue (60%), which the IES attributed to be "possibly a consequence of nearly half (48%) reporting working patterns that include long and irregular hours". Increase in alcohol consumption, eating a less healthy diet and poor sleep were other causes of concern. [8]

A survey of over one thousand Americans in November 2020 found that 72% of the people were working from their bed. [9] This habit triggered health problems, particularly in young workers and students aged 18 to 34. Some problems attributed to working from bed were limited headaches or prolonged to permanent stiffness in the back, arthritis and cervical pain.[ citation needed ]

Psychological

In a video call, minds are together, but bodies are not; this cognitive dissonance causes conflicted feelings which are exhausting. [10]

Marissa Shuffler, an associate professor at Clemson University, argues that people have a greater awareness of being watched when on camera, and can feel a greater sense of self-awareness by seeing their own image: "When you're on a video conference, you know everybody's looking at you; you are on stage, so there comes the social pressure and feeling like you need to perform. Being performative is nerve-wracking and more stressful". The human brain perceives threat from the presence of an enlarged face in private spaces such as the home. [11]

Contextual

The emergence of Zoom fatigue is associated with COVID-19 pandemic that together with the limitation of social contacts have led people to change their habits. [12]   The inability to cope with the new technologies is called Technostress. [10] Indeed, the digital divide theory [13] highlights that there are global differences in the access and use of digital technologies. For example, distance education is more difficult for students located in rural areas where connection problems are frequent. For all these reasons, during online live sessions, it has been challenging to maintain a good level of concentration and keep high rates of cognitive energy.[ citation needed ]

Emotional

Emotional consequences of Zoom fatigue are fundamental to consider since they have great importance in an individual's approach with social relations and with the work environment:

Shift to digital consumption

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, communication through a variety of digital means had become increasingly common, in addition to typical physical interactions. This changed dramatically as lockdowns began and standard social practices became restricted, skyrocketing the digital landscape to the forefront of communication. [15] As a result, institutions and individuals were forced to quickly adapt to virtual interactions in place of physical ones, culminating in the overuse of videoconferencing platforms.

Increased usage of videoconferencing platforms

As virtual interactions became important, Zoom and other video conferencing platforms saw a meteoric rise. Zoom, which existed previously but was not widely known, became a dominant player, going from a total of 10 million daily meeting participants in December 2019 to 300 million in April 2020. [16] Microsoft Teams reported 75 million daily active users in April 2020, a jump from 70 percent in a month. Microsoft also recorded 200 million meeting participants in a single day the same month. Another important player is Google Meet, which added roughly 3 million new users daily at that time, hitting over 100 million daily meeting participants. In the same month, Cisco also reported a total of 300 million Webex users and saw sign-ups close to 240,000 in a 24-hour period. [17]

Increased multifunctionality of videoconferencing platforms

Traditionally, many people use these platforms in a more conventional way, like business calls or to stay connected with family and friends; however, there was an increasing number of creative use cases, thanks to the availability of different devices and software solutions. In this regard, video calls enhance the sense of togetherness by facilitating the sharing of daily routines. For example, couples tend to leave the video on while doing other activities and interact occasionally with the other partner or children who want to "show and tell" at the same time, since the communication with video calls is more natural than voice or text.

Families and friends started celebrating holidays online, such as Easter and the Passover Seder, or simply watch a movie, play games or celebrate birthdays. Some physically oriented activities that are related to social life or personal interests have also become virtual, like holding church services or yoga classes in an online format.

People actively participated in webinars to get support such as psychological support, career or health counseling as a way to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. [18]

State of research

The growing public concern about causes and consequences of Zoom fatigue during the COVID-19 pandemic is reflected in intensive media reporting. [19] [12] [20] At the same time, researchers have been starting to investigate the phenomenon of Zoom fatigue by suggesting underlying psychological mechanisms, [3] developing measures such as the "Zoom Exhaustion & Fatigue Scale" [21] and conducting empirical studies. [22] Also, review papers that summarize and structure the current scientific knowledge on videoconference fatigue are available. [23] [24] [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Remote work</span> Employees working from any location

Remote work is the practice of working from one's home or another space rather than from an office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telehealth</span> Health care by telecommunication

Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions. Telemedicine is sometimes used as a synonym, or is used in a more limited sense to describe remote clinical services, such as diagnosis and monitoring. When rural settings, lack of transport, a lack of mobility, conditions due to outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, decreased funding, or a lack of staff restrict access to care, telehealth may bridge the gap as well as provide distance-learning; meetings, supervision, and presentations between practitioners; online information and health data management and healthcare system integration. Telehealth could include two clinicians discussing a case over video conference; a robotic surgery occurring through remote access; physical therapy done via digital monitoring instruments, live feed and application combinations; tests being forwarded between facilities for interpretation by a higher specialist; home monitoring through continuous sending of patient health data; client to practitioner online conference; or even videophone interpretation during a consult.

A learning management system (LMS) or virtual learning environment (VLE) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting, automation, and delivery of educational courses, training programs, materials or learning and development programs. The learning management system concept emerged directly from e-Learning. Learning management systems make up the largest segment of the learning system market. The first introduction of the LMS was in the late 1990s. LMSs have been adopted by almost all higher education institutions in the English-speaking world. Learning management systems have faced a massive growth in usage due to the emphasis on remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Online school</span> School that teaches students entirely or primarily online or through the Internet

An online school teaches students entirely or primarily online or through the Internet. It has been defined as "education that uses one or more technologies to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and to support regular and substantive interaction between the students. Online education exists all around the world and is used for all levels of education. This type of learning enables the individuals to earn transferable credits, take recognized examinations, and advance to the next level of education over the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Videotelephony</span> Real-time video communication

Videotelephony is the use of audio and video for real-time communication between people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital rhetoric</span> Forms of communication via digital mediums

Digital rhetoric can be generally defined as communication that exists in the digital sphere. As such, digital rhetoric can be expressed in many different forms, including text, images, videos, and software. Due to the increasingly mediated nature of our contemporary society, there are no longer clear distinctions between digital and non-digital environments. This has expanded the scope of digital rhetoric to account for the increased fluidity with which humans interact with technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social media</span> Virtual online communities

Social media are interactive technologies that facilitate the creation, sharing and aggregation of content, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. Although not unchallenged, common features include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telepsychiatry</span> Mental-health care by telecommunication

Telepsychiatry or telemental health refers to the use of telecommunications technology to deliver psychiatric care remotely for people with mental health conditions. It is a branch of telemedicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital fashion</span>

Digital Fashion is a field of fashion design that relies on 3D software or artificial intelligence to produce hyper-realistic, data-intensive digital 3D garment simulations that are digital-only products or digital models for physical products. Digital garments can be worn and presented in virtual environments, social media, online gaming, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) platforms. The field contributes to the development of a more sustainable future for the fashion industry It has often been praised as an answer to ethical and creative concerns of traditional fashion by promoting innovation, reducing waste, and encouraging conscious consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital media in education</span>

Digital Media in education is measured by a person's ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce media content and communication in a variety of forms. These media may involve incorporating multiple digital softwares, devices, and platforms as a tool for learning. The use of digital media in education is growing rapidly in today's age, competing with books for the leading form of communication. This form of education is slowly combating the traditional forms of education that have been around for a long time. With the introduction of virtual education, there has been a need for more incorporation of new digital platforms in online classrooms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Aspect of viral outbreak

Media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic has varied by country, time period and media outlet. News media has simultaneously kept viewers informed about current events related to the pandemic, and contributed to misinformation or fake news.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoom (software)</span> Videoconferencing software

Zoom is a proprietary videotelephony software program developed by Zoom Video Communications. The free plan allows up to 100 concurrent participants, with a 40-minute time restriction. Users have the option to upgrade by subscribing to a paid plan, the highest of which supports up to 1,000 concurrent participants for meetings lasting up to 30 hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media</span>

Social media became an active place to interact during the COVID-19 pandemic, following the onset of social distancing. Overall messaging rates had risen by above 50%, according to a study by Facebook's analytics department. Individuals at home used social media to maintain their relationships and access entertainment to pass time faster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on science and technology</span> Disruption to science, space and technology projects globally

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected innumerable scientific and technical institutions globally, resulting in lower productivity in a number of fields and programs. However, the impact of the pandemic has also led to the opening of several new research funding lines for government agencies around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoombombing</span> Unwanted intrusion into video conference calls

Zoombombing or Zoom raiding is the unwanted, disruptive intrusion, generally by Internet trolls, into a video-conference call. In a typical Zoombombing incident, a teleconferencing session is hijacked by the insertion of material that is lewd, obscene, or racist in nature, typically resulting in the shutdown of the session or the removal of the troll. The term is especially associated with and is derived from the name of the Zoom videoconferencing software program, but it has also been used to refer to the phenomenon on other video conferencing platforms. The term became popularized in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to stay at home, and videoconferencing came to be used on a large scale by businesses, schools, and social groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pandemic fatigue</span> Psychological phenomenon

Pandemic fatigue is understood as a natural and expected reaction to sustained and unresolved adversity in people's everyday life. Those affected show symptoms of feeling burnt out and tired, while also expressing feelings of demotivation to engage in protection behaviors and seek COVID-19 related information as complacency, alienation and hopelessness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of the COVID-19 pandemic</span> Glossary article for the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has created and popularized many terms relating to disease and videoconferencing.

Rehabilitation after COVID-19 is needed in individuals experiencing longer-term disabling illness at any stage of COVID-19 infection. The rehabilitation of individuals with COVID-19 includes screening for the need for rehabilitation, participation of a multi-disciplinary team to evaluate and manage the individual's disabilities, use of four evidence based classes for rehabilitation, as well as individualised interventions for other problems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education in the United States</span>

In 2020, school systems in the United States began to close down in March because of the spread of COVID-19. This was a historic event in the history of the United States schooling system because it forced schools to shut-down. At the very peak of school closures, COVID-19 affected 55.1 million students in 124,000 public and private U.S. schools. The effects of widespread school shut-downs were felt nationwide, and aggravated several social inequalities in gender, technology, educational achievement, and mental health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Media fatigue</span>

Media fatigue is psychological exhaustion due to information overload from any form of media, though it is generally from news media and social media. The advent of the internet has contributed widely to media fatigue with vast amounts of information easily accessible and easily disseminated. Psychological exhaustion caused by media fatigue can lead to several negative outcomes, including emotional instability, increased stress, feeling overwhelmed, or experiencing sensory overload. Media fatigue can then lead to media avoidance, or intentional selectivity in the type and amount of media that is consumed.

References

  1. ↑ Wolf, Carolyn Reinach (May 14, 2020). "Virtual Platforms Are Helpful Tools but Can Add to Our Stress". Psychology Today . Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Google Trends". Google Trends. Retrieved February 25, 2021.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 Bailenson, Jeremy N. (2021). "Nonverbal overload: A theoretical argument for the causes of Zoom fatigue". Technology, Mind, and Behavior. 2 (1). doi: 10.1037/tmb0000030 .
  4. ↑ McCulloch, Gretchen (November 30, 2020). "A Mission to Make Virtual Parties Actually Fun". Wired . ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  5. ↑ Suresh, Geetha (2020). "Workspace and postural challenges in Work from Home (WFH) Scenario". International Journal of Grid and Distributed Computing. 13 (2).
  6. ↑ Lufkin, Bryan (February 18, 2021). "What happens when you work from bed for a year". BBC. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Jon (February 25, 2020). "Negative effects of technology: Psychological, social, and health". Medical News Today . Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  8. ↑ Bevan, Stephen; Mason, Beth; Bajorek, Zofia (April 2020). "IES Working at Home Wellbeing Survey-Interim Findings". Institute for Employment Studies .
  9. ↑ "Sleep, Work, and COVID-19: In-Depth Study". Tuck Sleep. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Bullock, Angela; Colvin, Alex D.; Jackson, M. Sebrena (April 29, 2022). "Zoom Fatigue in the Age of COVID-19". Journal of Social Work in the Global Community. 6 (1). doi: 10.5590/JSWGC.2022.07.1.01 . ISSN   2642-1763. S2CID   231948968.
  11. ↑ Wolf, Carolyn Reinach (May 14, 2020). "Virtual Platforms Are Helpful Tools but Can Add to Our Stress | Psychology Today". Psychology Today . Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Jiang, Manyu (2020, April 22). The reason Zoom calls drain your energy. BBC Worklife.https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200421-why-zoom-video-chats-are-so-exhausting
  13. ↑ Lupton, Deborah (2014). Digital Sociology. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN   9781138022775.
  14. ↑ Korunovska, Jana; Spiekermann, Sarah (October 2019). The Effects of Digitalization on Human Energy and Fatigue: A Review (PDF) (Report). Vienna University of Economics and Business. arXiv: 1910.01970 .
  15. ↑ Hall, Jeffrey A. (2020). Relating Through Technology: Everyday Social Interaction. Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108629935. ISBN   9781108629935. S2CID   225181255.
  16. ↑ "90-Day Security Plan Progress Report: April 22". Zoom. April 23, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  17. ↑ Warren, Tom (April 30, 2020). "Zoom admits it doesn't have 300 million users, corrects misleading claims". The Verge. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  18. ↑ Hacker, Janine; vom Brocke, Jan; Handali, Joshua; Otto, Markus; Schneider, Johannes (2020). "Virtually in this together – how web-conferencing systems enabled a new virtual togetherness during the COVID-19 crisis". European Journal of Information Systems . 29 (5): 563–584. doi: 10.1080/0960085X.2020.1814680 . ISSN   0960-085X. S2CID   224947325.
  19. ↑ Fosslien, Liz; Duffy, Mollie West (April 29, 2020). "How to Combat Zoom Fatigue". Harvard Business Review. ISSN   0017-8012 . Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  20. ↑ McConnon, Aili (March 9, 2021). "Zoom Fatigue: The Differing Impact on Introverts and Extroverts". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  21. ↑ Fauville, G.; Luo, M.; Queiroz, A.C.M.; Bailenson, J.N.; Hancock, J. (2021). "Zoom Exhaustion & Fatigue Scale". Computers in Human Behavior Reports . 4: 100119. doi: 10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100119 . S2CID   238949468.
  22. ↑ Bennett, Andrew A.; Campion, Emily D.; Keeler, Kathleen R.; Keener, Sheila K. (2021). "Videoconference fatigue? Exploring changes in fatigue after videoconference meetings during COVID-19". Journal of Applied Psychology . 106 (3): 330–344. doi:10.1037/apl0000906. ISSN   1939-1854. PMID   33871270. S2CID   233300126.
  23. ↑ Döring, Nicola; Moor, Katrien De; Fiedler, Markus; Schoenenberg, Katrin; Raake, Alexander (2022). "Videoconference fatigue: a conceptual analysis". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health . 19 (4): 2061. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19042061 . ISSN   1660-4601. PMC   8871528 . PMID   35206250.
  24. ↑ Riedl, René (2021). "On the stress potential of videoconferencing: definition and root causes of Zoom fatigue". Electronic Markets . 32 (1): 153–177. doi:10.1007/s12525-021-00501-3. ISSN   1422-8890. PMC   8645680 . PMID   35600914.
  25. ↑ Vidolov, Simeon (2022). "Uncovering the affective affordances of videoconference technologies". Information Technology & People. 35 (6): 1782–1803. doi: 10.1108/ITP-04-2021-0329 . ISSN   0959-3845. S2CID   247287127.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.