Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

doi.apa.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

131–140 of 284 posts

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#131

Post by magicalhippo »

ratww wrote: post #117
magicalhippo wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I also find long 1-1 meetings tiring, the camera does nothing to improve this for me regardless of who has it on. What about seeing a face makes it less tiring than not seeing a face? Is this possibly an introvert vs extrovert thing?

Well, the problem for me specifically is the "hurry up and wait" feeling. If the person operating a computer is doing stuff related to the meeting, time seem normal for them. But the person waiting has to remain focused to answer follow-up questions, so multitasking might not be a possibility. Seeing a face helps in my experience, but I have no idea why. However, screen sharing is probably better. Or just not having…

Ah, if it's that kind of 1-1, screen sharing definitely helps.

My 1-1's are almost always to discuss or troubleshooting something, so not much "downtime" at all. When troubleshooting, screen sharing is almost always used, otherwise I probably don't need the other person at all.

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#132

Post by BlargMcLarg »

2wrist wrote: post #121
matsemann wrote: post #27

To make a different point than all the camera naysayers so far: I I'd be WFH for two years during covid, and everyone had their cameras off, I'd go crazy. Not seeing a face for months, being stressed about the other party in a meeting not even paying attention, just speaking into a void etc.

Yes, very true. Having the camera off also means that we miss out on lots of non-verbal cues. I can't tell you the amount of difficult meetings I have had where people are edgy when the camera is off. With it on there is often a more relaxed vibe as people don't get the wrong end of the stick as much.

This can go the other way as well, thinking visual cues imply X when they actually imply Y. On the other hand, one can resolve most of these scenarios by asking the other party to elaborate and to keep emotionally charged arguments / personalities off the table, rather than assuming their emotional state and trying to play off of it or feeling attacked.

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#133

Post by Buttons840 »

raz32dust wrote: post #55

In my experience, meetings definitely feel more productive when at least the key participants have cameras on. So I would not advocate for a "camera off" culture. Instead, something that helps me and might help others - When I am not speaking, I keep my camera on, but I don't keep the camera view myself - i.e, I don't watch myself or others. Instead, I switch to the content being shared/presented, if any. This helps…

> meetings definitely feel more productive when at least the key participants have cameras on.

I agree with the corollary at least. If someone hasn't spoken for the last 5 minutes, they are not a key participant and can turn off their camera.

The optimal middle path is probably that people sometimes have their cameras on, and sometimes don't. This option seems to get the least amount of consideration.

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#134

Post by baby »

incrudible wrote: post #130

Another benefit of just keeping cameras off is that it reduces the impact of lookism, which is exacerbated by camera distortion and unfavorable lighting. Of course, this puts stronger emphasis on audible cues. You may not realize it, but people can hear you smile. This is a bit anecdotal: People on the ASD spectrum may perform better on just auditory stimuli versus audio-visual integration. There's certainly a trade-…

Lookism?

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#135

Post by konschubert »

matsemann wrote: post #31
newshorts wrote: post #19

Have they also considered the fact that I’m literally hopping from one meeting to the next with zero minutes of downtime? I mean when I was in the office we at least had to walk to a new room, now I’m always a few minutes late to the next meeting and literally just signed out of the previous one. I used to also take a lunch break, now I eat at my desk during meetings.

Yes, and that it's 100% business. Hard to get a good social conversation in a remote meeting with 5+ people, so the real meeting starts right away, and when it's done everyone disconnect. Compared to a physical meeting where people will talk in smaller groups before and after.

It's a cultural choice. In my team, standup takes 30 minutes because we spend the first 20 chit-chatting. It may seem like a waste of time but honestly it's a great mental kick-off for the day.

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#136

Post by baby »

pugworthy wrote: post #61

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.

Did you see that google meet now live transcribes meetings? It’s insane!

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#137

Post by incrudible »

baby wrote: post #134
incrudible wrote: post #130

Another benefit of just keeping cameras off is that it reduces the impact of lookism, which is exacerbated by camera distortion and unfavorable lighting. Of course, this puts stronger emphasis on audible cues. You may not realize it, but people can hear you smile. This is a bit anecdotal: People on the ASD spectrum may perform better on just auditory stimuli versus audio-visual integration. There's certainly a trade-…

Lookism?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27283466/

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#138

Post by varispeed »

We had cameras on maybe for the first two weeks. Now nobody turns them on for meetings and I'd say it makes meetings so much more bearable, even better than in real life meetings. I have a condition where I can't sit still for an extended period of time. I have to move. So meetings where I couldn't just stand up and take a walk around the room or do some stretching were really really exhausting. Now we have a new manager who said he is planning to mandate that everyone has cameras switched on, so that there is "human connection" and to help people feel more integrated. Interestingly nobody said loud it is a stupid idea, but it's been two months since he announced that and still nobody is using cameras. I'll hand in a notice if it eventually goes through.

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#139

Post by baby »

I too find it tiring, but I too like having my camera on sometimes.

I had meetings were I wished we had camera on because nobody was paying attention and I know that things would have been different with cameras or IRL.

For the most part I don’t enable my camera, unless I’m going to speak in which case i turn it on once for the duration of my speech

Re: The fatiguing effects of camera use in virtual meetings

#140

Post by piva00 »

mkl wrote: post #129
piva00 wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

> I feel surveilled and every movement I do in front of it is calculated by my unconscious mind What do you do in in-person meetings? Or supermarket visits etc.? Everything you do is way more visible in those, and I've never heard anyone complain about being surveilled in person.

Do you feel the same way in front of a camera pointing to your face as you do on a normal day-to-day interaction with non-verbal cues, room to use body language to express yourself, etc.?

It's not about the visibility, it's the psychological impact it has, having a camera pointed directly at my face 100% of the time is very different than sitting in a room, reading others' faces, attention (where are they focusing their gaze? When are they drifting off? When are they tapping their fingers on the table?).

I don't know why I hear this argument so many times, a camera on my face is a very different experience than sharing a room with others, I don't see the parallel.

Post reply on HN