Video calls could be draining your energy in lockdown

Are you finding video calling exhausting in lockdown? According to the World Economic Forum, this is why:

Experts say that chatting online requires more concentrations than meeting face-to-face. (Source: BBC)

Poor-quality video can make it tricky to read facial expressions.

Framing means it is harder to read body language, a key part to communication. And eye contact, which is normally a strong facial cue, can be uncomfortable online. (Source: Gianpiero Petriglieri)

Then there is the added social pressure of being on camera. Many say they find it nerve-wracking and stressful. (Souce: Dr Linda Hill, Edge Hill University)

Delays caused by slow internet speed can cause anxiety, while silence creates a natural rhythm in real-life conversation. A study in Germany found 1.2-second silence makes the responder seem less friendly. (Source Science Direct)

Video chats in large groups can be less productive because the focus is on the person speaking, ignoring responses from the rest of the team.

(Source: Behrens, F., Kret, ME, Journal of Nonverbal Behaviour)

Multi-person screens challenge our central vision forcing our brains to multitask. Psychologists call it “continuous partial attention.”

(Source: National Geographic)

And suggest sometimes switching off your camera in group chats, placing your screen off to one side, which could help concentration, or making a voice call instead.

(Source: Harvard Business Review)