Reference: Shockley, Kristen M.; Gabriel, Allison S., Robertson, Daron., Rosen, C. C., Chawla, N., Ganster, M. L., & Ezerins, M. E. (2021). The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings: A within-person field experiment. The Journal of applied psychology, 106(8), 1137– 1155. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000948 During the COVID-19 pandemic, many employees started working remotely, replacing face-to- face meetings with virtual ones. This sudden change led to discussions about "Zoom fatigue," where people feel drained and lack energy after a day of virtual meetings. Management and Organizational Psychologists aimed to understand how using a camera or not in virtual meetings affects fatigue, participation, and engagement. In one study, researchers over four weeks made 1,400 daily observations of 100 employees, some using cameras, others not. Their goal was to study whether having the camera on would impact fatigue, participation, and engagement, and which employees were most affected. Results? Using the camera caused fatigue, which impacted meeting performance both on the same day and the next day. Fatigue was problematic for employee voice and engagement in meetings. Women and newer employees were more fatigued by using cameras, perhaps because women may have more concern with appearance. New employees may worry how they are coming across. When videoconferencing, reduce Zoom fatigue by hiding your self-views when focus is on a presentation. Give encouragement and positive recognition for those sharing when exchanging ideas.

Written by Kristin M. Harris, Ph.D.