Zoom anxiety is still a big problem, one year in the pandemic

This story is part of a series about life one year in the pandemic. Look out for a story about tips to combat Zoom anxiety.

When the closures of coronavirus started a year ago, and a large part of the world turned to it Zoom and other video chat services for work and leisure, Amanda Stevens, a project manager for the state of New York, made her very worried about her video meetings from home. One fought the urge to straighten her hair all the time, now that she had watched her own reflection for hours on end. The other? “My very old dog is prone to loud, unpredictable flatulence and I live in fear of it being picked up by my microphone … and it is not attributed to my dog,” she said.

One year in the pandemic, video chat platforms have given many people the ability to work from home and stay in touch with family and friends. We’ve heard a lot about “Zoom fatigue“- the feeling of exhaustion you feel after a day staring at your screen for meetings on camera, worsens when most of your socialization after work also happens via video. But the related concept of “Zoom Anxiety” has received less attention, though it could be for many more debilitating – and could have potential career implications.

There are few studies on Zoom anxiety, but a survey in November among 2,000 domestic workers found that it stems from several sources: technology and sound problems that you cannot solve; can not read people’s body language; feel as if you are not being heard; you must call without call to prepare your appearance; to be concerned about an unprofessional background; and to be talked about. (To be clear, in this story, I use Zoom as a maintenance for all video chat platforms, as it became a verb for video calling in 2020.)

“When you’re face to face, you can subconsciously record a lot of things in people’s body language – you notice when someone is not responding well, or when someone looks a little uncomfortable,” Libby Sander said. assistant professor of organizational behavior at Bond University in Queensland, Australia, studying the psychological effects of work from home. “You can get directions on when to engage in a conversation, and whether to follow a specific discussion line, based on reading the room. It’s pretty difficult or even impossible to do that with Zoom.”

Although vaccines are underway nationwide, the pandemic and the move to work from home encourage many businesses to create a hybrid workforce, where people divide their time between home and office – meaning video conferencing is likely to take place here. stay. But if you suffer from anxiety with the aids on camera, you need to know that you are far from alone.

‘The nightmares followed’

Vivek Wadhwa, a leading fellow at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program, does many TV appearances through Zoom. One time he had to quickly swap a shirt before an interview, and did so without realizing that the camera was on. Luckily he was not on the air, but it was a close call that ‘the nightmares followed’, he said.

“Do you remember the ‘university dream’ or ‘exam dream’ in which you were late for class and missed the exam, or if you could not get the classroom, or studied the wrong subject?” Wadhwa said. “The new ‘university dream’ is when you forget to take off your pajamas before going to Zoom.”

At the start of the pandemic, Caroline Jo, a brand marketer in Orange County, California, would dress up for video meetings, wear makeup, and play with Zoom filters. But over time, the energy that went into these meetings ran out, and she was riddled with tension and could not sleep the night before, crammed full of video calls.

“I’m a marketer, and it’s stereotypically known to be the lively, outspoken bunch, but I’m very introverted and introspective, which I think is still very valuable to work with,” Jo said. However, when it comes to Zoom meetings specifically, the anxiety comes from even the most basic things – awkward silences, the game ‘who should talk next’, the constant attention, the forced talk and technological snafus like sound issues or being brave be and talk, but realize that I was silent the whole time. ‘

These stressors can also occur outside the workplace. Kristen Taylor Hunt, an artist from Louisville, Kentucky, began avoiding her therapy sessions when they switched to a video chat format. “I often can’t concentrate on what’s really happening or being said because I’m worried about my reactions, or people think I do not care what is said because I look bored or angry,” she said. As a person with multiple autoimmune diseases, “COVID really took a toll on my mental health … I really need to be in therapy.”

Social video chat can also cause tension. When you see friends in person, you do not feel the same pressure to “perform socially” as you do on video chat, said Suzanne Degges-White, a professor and chair of the Department of Counseling and Higher Education at the University of Northern Illinois, pointed out in a Psychology Today column. Just being present in the same space is enough. But on video, you feel more like you have to constantly talk or entertain in some way – otherwise you just sit there and smile in front of the camera.

Career opportunities and the gender gap

Some aspects of Zoom anxiety are apparently gendered. A number of studies have shown gender inequalities during personal meetings and group settings. In general, men are considered more able to speak longer, while women are considered less able to do the same. Women will also be much more interrupted or talked about. These issues are exacerbated by video chat, Sander said, and women may struggle to get the chance to reach their point of view.

One small 2017 study examined the gaze of women during Skype video calls and found that those who were socially anxious spent more time on their own image – especially if the person they were talking to had criticized them. .

Video chat platforms also tend to reward those who are the loudest, as this is whose voice is recorded. And when you have that awkward moment where two people are talking, the laughter can make it hard to circle back to the other person, Sander added.

Aside from the talking points, many women have also reported feeling stressed and apologetic about their appearance on camera, while men are less concerned about what they look like or what they are wearing. Jason Sudeikis wears a hoodie accepting his Golden Globe award via Zoom, compared to the full makeup and evening dresses of most female nominees, is a pretty solid example of this.

For people across the gender spectrum, working from home can provide fewer opportunities to build professional relationships, especially if you were in a new job when the pandemic occurred. Your job may be less visible to your manager, and you have fewer opportunities for informal discussions in an office environment about the work you do or any problems you are experiencing, Sander said.

“We will have to wait to see how it plays out in terms of career advancement, but at the moment people are very concerned about health and safety, and the continuity of business and work,” she added. “But I think there are big issues we need to be aware of.”