Why is camera-on video chat so much more fatiguing?

Question

Our company has a norm to use video on calls, and I hate it so much. For starters, our team is all international and they don't seem to know the difference between a norm and a rule/requirement. So when I Slack people a question and they call in video chat, and their face fills my screen, I find it stressful and unnecessary. And then there is the expectation that I put on video to match them, otherwise I imagine I look either lazy (working in bed) or otherwise unprofessional or not upholding the norm. In long meetings I will take a "video break" to go stretch while I listen. This is the other problem...I want to move around or walk around the room, not sit statically.I found one way to minimize my distress over this is to hide "self-view" in Zoom, because if I have to see myself on camera, 50% of my attention is on why my hair looks so bad, or why my room looks so dim or dungeon-esque.Since there is a company norm to use video I don't know if it's worth bringing this up to my manager, except to vent, but I'm curious if others feel the same way. Honestly, I don't _want_ to see people's faces if we're doing code review or Excel spreadsheet review; I find it to be a huge distraction. I'm not even on the ASD spectrum, but in writing this it probably seems that way.

gagejustins · Accepted Answer

There's something highly unnatural feeling about video chat, I think it's very fundamental, and I have a hunch that research will bear this out eventually

gregjor · Answer

I just turn off the video. Usually no one says anything, but if they ask I just say it's not working for some reason.Honestly it seems like most of the stress you describe comes from your own anxiety about appearance and what people might think about you rather than from video calls or Zoom as communication tools. Maybe change your expectations of yourself rather than try to change the company or other people.

blueridge · Answer

A Theory of Zoom Fatigue:https://theconvivialsociety.substack.com/p/a-theory-of-zoom-...

sourcecodeplz · Answer

Nobody really cares how you or your hair looks or if they do it's just for a second, then they forget.You could also point your camera in a way that only a small part of your face/head is visible. Like pan it up.

pacifika · Answer

I put another application in front of the window sometimes. It helps and no one knows

Why is camera-on video chat so much more fatiguing?

There's something highly unnatural feeling about video chat, I think it's very fundamental, and I have a hunch that research will bear this out eventually

A Theory of Zoom Fatigue:
https://theconvivialsociety.substack.com/p/a-theory-of-zoom-...

Nobody really cares how you or your hair looks or if they do it's just for a second, then they forget.
You could also point your camera in a way that only a small part of your face/head is visible. Like pan it up.

I put another application in front of the window sometimes. It helps and no one knows