Already a fairly common business practice prior to 2020, video calls absolutely exploded in use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, it isn’t like any of us had a choice. Considering how we were all cooped up inside for months on end, the capacity to teleconference with colleagues from the comfort of home helped countless businesses keep running in the midst of lockdowns and empty office buildings.
Fast forward to 2024, and video calls have largely retained their new found relevance in the business sphere. Zoom, one of the most popular video conferencing companies, averages tens of millions of users each and every day. Video calls have become just another reality of day-to-day business for countless employees.
Of course, ubiquitous use across boardrooms and cubicles doesn’t necessarily translate to enjoyment. If you’ve ever found yourself bleary eyed and exhausted half-way through a video conference you certainly aren’t alone. One poll conducted at the end of 2020 noted 6 in 10 Americans were already feeling “zoomed out” way back then.1 Imagine how many of us are feeling now!
Let’s take a look at what science has to say when it comes to the emerging topic of teleconferencing and zoom interviews. While still a relatively fresh technology in popular culture, a number of fascinating studies have already been conducted on video calls, and more specifically, the phenomenon known as video conferencing fatigue.
Zoom fatigue on a neurophysiological level
It’s not all in your head. Video calls really do have a unique ability to leave us feeling rundown and exhausted. One study published last year in Scientific Reports even reports video conferences promote more exhaustion on an objective, neurophysiological level.2 Researchers used a combination of objective electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG) data, in addition to subjective perception surveys, to gauge exhaustion levels among a group of students during both an in-person lecture and a similar speech over video call. The teleconference lecture led to significantly higher levels of both perceived and physiological (brain, heart activity) fatigue.
Exhausted or just bored?
On a related neurological note, additional research suggests video calls may leave so many feeling lethargic not due to overstimulation but understimulation. A noteworthy piece of research published in Imaging Neuroscience indicates that zoom interviews and video calls simply fail to stimulate our minds like actual, real-life social interactions.3 Researchers observed noticeably lower levels of neural signaling during video conferences compared to in-person chats.
So, perhaps zoom calls wear us out because our minds must work harder to remain focused and attentive. Put another way, it may simply be easier to fall headfirst into boredom on a zoom call.
Sick of ourselves?
Who would want to stare at themselves in the mirror for longer than a minute or two? OK, narcissists, don’t answer that question. Putting the egomaniacs among us aside for a moment, another study published in Clinical Psychological Science offers up a more self-deprecating explanation for the exhausting influence of teleconferencing. Researchers found the longer a person stared at themselves during a video call, the worse their mood became!4
In real life we all have the luxury of enjoying a first-person perspective and don’t have the burden of watching ourselves throughout the day. Whether we’re aware of it or not, hopping on a video call or zoom interview forces us to be more aware of ourselves, and increased awareness often leads to scrutiny and self-doubt.
The other side of the screen
The person on the other side of the screen may make all the difference when it comes to zoom fatigue. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology concluded teleconferences are much more tiresome if we feel no sense of group belonging or community with the other people on the call.5 Considering it’s common practice nowadays for employers to screen and interview job candidates via video call, this report may help explain why so many job seekers find zoom interviews to be especially exhausting. It’s tough to feel like part of the group before actually being hired, after all.
Tips for avoiding zoom fatigue
The simplest solution to a problem is often the best solution, but let’s assume you can’t just stop taking video calls. A research initiative published in the Journal of Applied Psychology offers up the next best option: Turn off your camera.6 Scientists discovered that leaving the camera off during video calls left most workers feeling much more refreshed afterwards in comparison to having it on.
Meanwhile, a report published in PLOS One indicates incorporating some simple hand gestures like a thumbs up or placing a hand over one’s heart can help promote a better video conferencing experience for everyone on the call.
Meta data description: It’s not just you, zoom fatigue is real. Video interviews and video calls are exhausting. Find out what science has to say as to why.
1. Are you Zoomed out? Popular ways Americans are coping with digital fatigue
3. Separable processes for live “in-person” and live “zoom-like” faces
4. Where to Look? Alcohol, Affect, and Gaze Behavior During a Virtual Social Interaction
6. The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings: A within-person field experiment.
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