While company get-togethers often elicit a lack of enthusiasm, many individuals find virtual conferencing sessions particularly taxing.
Recent findings from a research collective spearheaded by Chaeyun Lim at Michigan State University indicate that this widespread sentiment, colloquially termed “Zoom fatigue” or videoconference exhaustion, is correlated with discontent regarding one’s own facial presentation.
Survey data suggests that employees generally exhibit a preference for telecommuting when it is an available option, and those who engage in frequent videoconferencing tend to report minimal overall distress.
Nevertheless, Zoom fatigue is a discernible phenomenon, and although it could theoretically impact anyone, prior investigations have demonstrated that women and individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds report elevated experiences of this fatigue.
While not universally essential, videoconferencing technology holds significant importance for numerous sectors and individuals, offering the potential to enhance efficiency and output across a diverse array of operational contexts.
The researchers highlight that Zoom fatigue may represent a substantial impediment to the wider embrace of virtual meetings, or VMs. However, a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between VM fatigue and dissatisfaction with facial appearance, as well as the precise ways this exhaustion influences the adoption of videoconferencing, remains limited.
“Despite the critical function of VM fatigue in shaping professional interactions and fostering digital inclusivity within evolving virtual work environments, its repercussions on VM adoption—and the intricate mechanisms connecting concerns about facial appearance, VM fatigue, and VM adoption—continue to be inadequately explored,” the study’s authors observe.
In an effort to address this knowledge gap, Lim and her associates examined impression management features – functionalities embedded within videoconferencing software that empower users to subtly alter their visual presentation by manipulating their reflected video stream.
The research team enlisted 2,448 professionals from the United States across various fields, including technical and scientific domains, who engage in remote work at least some of the time and regularly participate in virtual professional engagements.
A concise 15-minute questionnaire was administered to gauge participants’ sentiments regarding their physical appearance, alongside their perspectives on impression-management strategies such as employing subtle touch-ups to refine their self-view or utilizing video filters and digital avatars.
Using structural equation modeling, Lim and her colleagues delved into the interrelationships among these variables, discovering that participants who expressed greater dissatisfaction with their facial appearance also exhibited heightened levels of VM fatigue.
This, in turn, was observed to correlate with an increased utilization of impression management tools designed to alter the user’s visual representation.
While it is possible that certain subjects harbored pre-existing dissatisfaction with their appearance before experiencing VM fatigue, the researchers’ findings suggest that the act of prolonged self-observation on digital displays can indeed exacerbate such apprehensions.
“Prolonged exposure to screens, engagement with social media platforms, and the practice of curated self-representation through image modification prior to publication have long been associated with negative perceptions of physical appearance,” the authors articulate.
“Likewise, the extensive duration spent in VM sessions may intensify unfavorable self-image perceptions, as well as heighten anxieties related to critical appraisal.”
The study further indicated that VM fatigue stemming from discontent with facial appearance was also linked to negative evaluations of VMs, such as perceiving them as lacking utility, thereby influencing users’ inclinations toward adopting videoconferencing for professional meetings.
Disabling the self-view option has been proposed as an effective countermeasure, yet it remains an impractical solution for many individuals who prefer or feel obligated to maintain awareness of their onscreen presentation during calls.
“Beyond disrupting professional interactions and diminishing productivity, such adverse experiences can erect psychological impediments to embracing VM technologies, thus contributing to disparities in technological access within the workplace,” the research team states.
The authors acknowledge several material constraints of the current study, including its inability to establish definitive causal links and its reliance on participants exclusively from the United States for the survey.
Future research endeavors should aim to include participants from more diverse cultural backgrounds, the researchers propose, and should be structured to explore potential strategies for mitigating VM fatigue.
