As someone who's partially deaf, I really appreciate camera on. It's a lot easier to understand people. I actually like Zoom meetings more than F2F at times, simply because everyone (with a camera) is equal - I see all their faces (and mouths) the same. F2F? Masks cover up faces, and we all have to stand far apart - horrible conditions for someone HoH.
The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
61–70 of 284 posts
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#62I don't turn on my camera for meetings. You really don't need to see my face. Anyone who says otherwise is not a serious person. We have been multitasking while on the phone for decades. This is no different.
I think it's OK to have the camera turned off for meetings but if it's a company meeting or a more social catch-up I'd like to see my co-workers. So 99% of the time no problem. But once a week or once a month I'd like to see everyone.
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#63As someone who's partially deaf, I really appreciate camera on. It's a lot easier to understand people. I actually like Zoom meetings more than F2F at times, simply because everyone (with a camera) is equal - I see all their faces (and mouths) the same. F2F? Masks cover up faces, and we all have to stand far apart - horrible conditions for someone HoH.
I'm completely deaf and I can only recommend transcripts. Both zoom and teams have built-in transcription systems (though you have to enable them) and there is also an Android app called Google live transcribe. The former two work the best since everyone has a mic to their mouth and their voice never mix before going through the transcription system.
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#64> following a day of virtual meetings I've done full days of real meetings. Those were exhausting and very draining. I'm surprised that anybody would expect anything different from virtual meetings. I have noticed that it's harder to feel people as fully human when they're little 2D movies. Even moreso when they're disembodied voices. It's less so when I've met the people IRL. I'm guessing I can then link their image…
Agreed on how draining a full day of face—to-face meetings is, our worse: a full-day conference meeting. I once went to one at the company that had acquired us. It was a literal airing-of-grievances meeting for the engineering managers, that they ran annually, so that people could get shit off their chests. It was by far the most dysfunctional and stupid meeting I’ve ever had to endure. We had to fly to Chicago for it.
If it was virtual I’d have turned my camera off and chilled out, and come away a fraction as stressed. As it was my team went straight to the bar, and a week later one of my colleagues - foreseeing her future amongst these people - quit.
I think there’s a lot of rose-tinting on how great in-person meetings actually used to be.
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#65At my last workplace, we got into a “camera off” default in my team during the pandemic because one person initially had lots of connection issues with their wi-fi, and it kind of stayed that way even after that was resolved, but I felt meetings probably suffered from this in terms of people not participating (plus it’s nice to see people’s faces!).
My new place doesn’t say anything about cameras but most people seem to go for camera on - but their policy (which was agreed upon by the team and is written down, which is great when you’re a new starter trying to work out the culture) is that they’d rather more people were invited to the meeting than fewer (so people don’t miss out on potentially relevant topics), but if you don’t think it’s relevant you’re under no obligation to attend and if it’s only somewhat relevant, you should feel free to get on with some other work or whatever. This seems to work pretty well in practice as there’s no “shame” to having your camera on and clearly be looking at another screen if the topic isn’t relevant, while still having the benefit of keeping your camera on if you are happy to.
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#66I make a point of leaving my camera on, especially if I would tune out and do other things. The visual feedback is important for the speaker.
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#67> following a day of virtual meetings I've done full days of real meetings. Those were exhausting and very draining. I'm surprised that anybody would expect anything different from virtual meetings. I have noticed that it's harder to feel people as fully human when they're little 2D movies. Even moreso when they're disembodied voices. It's less so when I've met the people IRL. I'm guessing I can then link their image…
Some context: I'm a lead engineer on a team with six products. I keep my camera off in meetings. I'm in far more meetings than I can possibly be productive in. I'm also usually not the active speaker in meetings. Why stare into a camera when what my yearly bonuses are calculated on is work/team output? I've found most meetings I get into are either: - Developers who can't figure something out from documentation and a…
Same context, but I keep my camera on to help others do the same. I spent the last six months with an org that had a strong remote culture but held meeting on phone conference call. So I've worked with some of my teammates long enough to hear their children but I never saw their face.
It really helps to connect with the person you are talking to when you see them when speaking.
My only exception is when I do large conferences where only the PM is speaking or when I'm doing something else and not listening. In that case cutting my camera is more polite.
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#68Earlier quoted context omitted.
They care, they just don't want to pick a fight. They might judge you and believe the reason you're not on camera is because you're busy doing something else.
These are probably the same people who care if I leave the office on time instead of staying late every night. I don't care to please these people.
It's not. Why do you have to assign other bad qualities to people you disagree with? Just to make it easier on yourself to disagree?
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's extremely rude in my opinion when people simply don't turn their cameras on in virtual meetings. Unfortunately, no one at my workplace except me does.
Rude? Have you considered the other side? I'm extremely fatigued by having the camera on, I feel surveilled and every movement I do in front of it is calculated by my unconscious mind. It takes a real toll on my productivity having to have the camera on for a string of meetings. I feel it's extremely rude to dismiss others' experiences with the damn camera on for a virtual meeting. What is up that you need someone el…
Is this because you observe yourself on screen?
I feel very uneasy looking at myself when talking, so I've figured out how to remove my tile and it's suddenly like a normal conversation.
There are way less social codes you have to follow when wfh and people tend to not bother as much with enforcing them.
Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
They care, they just don't want to pick a fight. They might judge you and believe the reason you're not on camera is because you're busy doing something else.
As if no one does the same on in-person meetings. Bringing their computers to the meeting, leaving them open and replying messages here and there. If they believe that it's on their side, so the reason to keep my camera on is to "show" that I've been paying attention? I work with a bunch of people who leave their camera on and are completely inattentive for parts of meetings, doing something else while looking at the…
> How is that different?
It's not, no one has said it is. Being inattentive is bad no matter how it's done.