Tired of video conferencing? Put some nature in the background

“Video” meetings at work, distance learning at university, virtual aperitifs with friends and Sunday video calls with grandparents… videoconferences are now part of our daily lives.

These new communication tools, the use of which has increased sharply since the Covid-19 pandemic, have given rise to a phenomenon known as “videoconferencing fatigue” (VF) which manifests itself physically, emotionally, cognitively and socially.

Several factors contributing to VF have already been identified, such as anxiety related to seeing oneself on screen, performing other tasks at the same time or internet connection problems.

Researchers at a university in Singapore have looked at the background that the user chooses to hide their real environment and the impact that this has on their own fatigue.

Indeed, “Existing research on computer-mediated communication (CMC) suggests that during videoconferencing, users spend the vast majority of their time focusing on themselves rather than others.“We are our first spectator,” Heng Zhang, a researcher at Nanyang Technological University and co-author of the study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, told AFP.

The researcher compares the choice of a background to that of a “costume”.It is not just a decoration, it influences how users perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others.” he said.

In spring 2023, researchers conducted an online survey of 610 Singaporean users of Zoom, one of the most popular video conferencing apps in the world.

Zoom offers several solutions to the user who wants to hide his real environment: blur it, replace it with a fixed background (images of offices, nature, urban landscapes, funny ones…) or with videos (for example a beach where waves crash on the shore and palm trees sway in the wind).

Participants, aged 22 to 76 and working from home about three days a week, were asked to specify the format and content of their background.

Then they had to answer a series of questions about their general, visual, social, motivational and emotional fatigue: “Do you have trouble getting things done after a video conference? “, “Do you avoid social interactions after a video conference?“…

Mountain and forest

Unsurprisingly, videos are the virtual backgrounds associated with the greatest fatigue. Indeed, these backgrounds “are constantly changing, continually presenting new information to users, consuming cognitive resources and increasing cognitive load“, the researchers note.

Users of a blurred background or a still image do not receive new information during the video conference. But those who use the blur effect still experience greater fatigue.

Researchers hypothesize that a blurred background “may cause negative emotions in users“, previous studies having shown this to be the case with a gray background, similar to the effect of blur.

Another common choice, images of public or interior spaces, is often guided by the user’s desire to demonstrate professionalism and leave a favorable impression on other participants.

“In the context of videoconferencing, this effort of self-presentation can be amplified, leading to increased fatigue.“, the study says.

Fun and nature-related backgrounds are associated with the lowest VF levels, the researchers note, and recommend choosing mountains, forests and seasides for business meetings.

“These backgrounds not only help reduce fatigue, but also allow users to present themselves in a more professional manner and show respect for the meeting. This choice helps to strike a balance between psychological comfort and respecting appropriate social norms and etiquettes.“, Mr. Zhang said.

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