[Videoconference Fatigue Coping Strategies]

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people's professional and private lives globally and has led to an increasing use of digital technologies, especially video conferencing systems (e.g. Zoom, Webex, Teams, Skype). Despite the possible advantages of these systems (e.g. savings in emissions by avoiding travelling), a negative phenomenon has been reported in science and practice: Videoconference Fatigue (VCF) (often synonymously referred to as Zoom Fatigue). This term describes the exhaustion and fatigue that results from the use of videoconferencing systems. In this article we report on an analysis of the academic literature, the aim of which is to document the current state of research on coping strategies. The analysis of coping strategies helps to better understand the phenomenon of VCF and to prevent or reduce fatigue and exhaustion. Furthermore, the results reported here are a basis for future work. Specifically, as of May 2022, we have identified 48 scientific articles on VCF, 37 of which also deal with coping strategies. We divide these strategies into organizational (e.g. taking breaks during and between meetings), personal (e.g. avoiding multitasking) and technological (e.g. use of the "together mode" in Teams). An important finding of our analysis is that with the exception of one paper, the effectiveness of the coping strategies has not yet been empirically examined and thus proven. This opens up enormous future research potential.

Eccentric Gaze as a Possible Cause of "Zoom Fatigue"

BACKGROUND

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a marked increase in the use of videoconferencing for social interaction. Many people report discomfort and disaffection with this modality, which has been labeled "Zoom Fatigue." Common videoconferencing hardware setups necessitate that if a user looks at the image of the person with whom they are in videoconference, they will not be looking directly at the camera and will appear to not be making direct eye contact. This study determined the minimum threshold of eccentric gaze in a videoconferencing setup above which subjects are perceived as not making direct eye contact by the majority of untrained observers.

METHODS

Image captures were made of four subjects successively fixating at small increments eccentric to a video camera, both vertically and horizontally ranging from 0.9 degrees to 19 degrees of eccentricity. The images were embedded in separate Powerpoint files for each subject. Each file was assessed by seven graders who indicated whether or not they felt the subject was looking directly at them in each slide.

RESULTS

The threshold for which 75% of the graders could detect that the subject was not looking at them ranged from only 2.7 degrees for horizontal eccentricity to 5.4 degrees for vertical eccentricity.

CONCLUSION

The hardware setups commonly used for videoconferencing result in persistent eccentric gaze of the participating individuals if they look at the image of the other participants. In theory, this could be a contributing cause of Zoom Fatigue.