The authors in Singapore surveyed 610 videoconference users between ages 22 and 76 on the types of virtual backgrounds they used, and measured Zoom fatigue using a five-point scale indicating levels of general, visual, social, motivational, and emotional fatigue. Critically, they found that people who employed moving video backgrounds experienced the highest levels of videoconference fatigue. Those who experienced the lowest levels? Users with static or even humorous backgrounds.
But the crucial detail they point out is that some backgrounds, virtual or real, introduce unnecessary new information, like a person walking through. Even these seemingly irrelevant moments can put strain on our psyche.
Our brains automatically react to new information in the environment," said co-author Heng Zhang, a researcher at the Nanyang Technological University Wee Kim Wee School of Communication. This highlights that even minor distractions can impact our ability to concentrate during videoconferencing.
This study questions how what we choose to show in the background of our video impacts us and those we video chat with. The paper in the journal Frontiers in Psychology delves into how, whether you use your true background, blur it, or go with a static image, your choice will have an effect on your brain.
[
Collection
]
[
|
...
]