Scientists warn against excesses via videoconferencing

Shortly after videoconferencing became fashionable as a result of the boom in working from home in the first Corona year of 2020, the first scientists published the results of studies showing that this form of communication leads to more fatigue complaints on average in many people. The phenomenon has since been dubbed ‘Zoom fatigue’ after the market leader in the business field, as René Riedl from the University of Applied Sciences (FH) Upper Austria/Campus Steyr and Gernot Müller-Putz from the Technical University (TU) Graz explained on Monday.

Technostress in organizations
The scientists and their teams have been working for some time as part of a project titled ‘Technostress in Organizations’, funded by the FWF Science Fund and under the umbrella of the ‘Society for Neuro-Information Systems’ (NeuroIS). Among other things, they analyzed the phenomenon, not only based on surveys, but also from a neuroscientific perspective. In a study at the Graz University of Technology, 18 participants participated in the lectures once in person in the classical mode and once in a video-based mode. Data was collected using recordings of brain waves (electroencephalography, EEG) and heart activity (electrocardiography, ECG), which made it possible to determine whether the subjects were tired. They also answered questionnaires.

On the one hand, the participants themselves reported less fatigue after the face-to-face session, on the other hand, the EEG and EKG recordings also showed more evidence of symptoms of fatigue after the video lecture, as Müller-Putz explained. For example, the participants’ heart rates dropped noticeably on average during the latter – an indication that you were ‘stressing yourself through something’, according to the TU Graz researcher: So you can actually see physical changes after just 50 years. minutes.

Given that video-based learning is being promoted in higher education, for example, and studies have shown that videoconferencing is “here to stay” due to the ongoing trend towards working from home, Riedl says one should think about the factors that lead to ‘videoconferencing fatigue’ and the measures that provide relief, give cause for thought. There are several theories about the causes of the phenomenon, but these must first be tested scientifically.

Delayed communication is more stressful
For example, slightly delayed, asynchronous communication is known to place excessive demands on the brain. Asynchrony cannot be avoided in videoconferencing. There are also psychological costs if you have difficulty reading body language and true coordination through eye contact is not possible. “The brain has to switch up a gear, so to speak,” which could ultimately lead to faster fatigue, says Riedl.

Another factor for ‘digital stress’ is the tendency to multitask during such meetings and the increased self-consciousness caused by the camera. This works like a mirror, making you automatically think about yourself and your appearance. Sitting in such meetings for hours with the camera activated is like someone constantly showing you your own likeness, which in English can cause “mirror anxiety,” Riedl said.

To combat “videoconferencing fatigue,” experts recommend taking breaks of about ten minutes, starting at 30 minutes, and shortening the conference duration overall. If possible, cameras should also be turned off and, for example, surveys should be incorporated into video lectures to activate listeners and viewers.