My eyes are strained. My shoulders are indefinitely hunched. My fingers are burnt from the rising heat of my keyboard. My ears have grown accustomed to the flutter of the overworked fan in my computer. My neck and my lower back...they just hurt. These are only the physiological symptoms of Zoom burnout. The mental and emotional list of consequnces will not fit the page.
In the grand scheme of things, I am privileged to be in a position where Zoom is part of my daily routine. I am receiving a world-class education, with unlimited access to the Internet, in a loving and supportive home. My problems are trivial when placed in comparison to other issues which haunt our country and the globe.
Nevertheless, ‘Zoom Fatigue’ is a reality for millions of students. Virtual schooling is more exhausting and time-consuming than anyone would have anticipated, and it is important to share tips on how to make the experience more bearable for the sake of student’s overall health. Without easing some of the aches of Zoom, students will lose their drive and capacity to perform to the best of their abilities.
Stanford News is a helpful resource that suggests some tactics to lessen the burden of Zoom weariness. An article released in February identified some of the leading causes of this tiredness and ways to decrease the ramifications. Author Ramachandran explains how “Excessive amounts of close-up eye contact are highly intense; seeing yourself during video chats constantly in real-time is fatiguing; video chats dramatically reduce our usual mobility, and the cognitive load is much higher in video chats”. These are elements inherent in Zoom which have become second nature but are taking a harmful toll on our bodies and minds.
With Zoom as one of our only mediums of connection and social functioning, we do not realize how the structure of the platform is creating the symptoms of discomfort. After characterizing the aspects of Zoom which are problematic, Ramachandram offers some solutions. He recommends reducing the size of the Zoom window from the full-screen option and to use an external keyboard to maximize personal space. He suggests choosing to ‘hide self-view' as an alternative to seeing yourself on camera. He wants people to consider where they are video conferencing to ensure they are creating a healthy and effective workspace. Lastly, he says to take breaks by turning off your camera, audio, and moving away from the screen. Overall, he thinks the more we facilitate an environment that mirrors that of an actual classroom, the better we will feel at the end of a Zoom day.
The insight that Ramachandram provides is more beneficial than I anticipated. I put into practice some of his ideas, and I already feel more comfortable. These small tricks make such a difference in how we react to being consumed by Zoom, and it is critical that more research is done to figure out how to better our Zoom conditions. Once we have more information, any institutions that use Zoom needs to share these recommendations with their users. The small changes to our Zoom habits are healing some all-encompassing issues.
RAMACHANDRAN, VIGNESH. “Four Causes for 'Zoom Fatigue' and Their Solutions.” Stanford News, 1 Mar. 2021, news.stanford.edu/2021/02/23/four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions/.
I will say that I absolutely agree that no one saw coming how tiresome Zoom would be. Flash back to the few days before Spring Break last year and it was awesome to do class from my bed or couch and just relax at my house. Now, I can barely accomplish anything without leaving to go somewhere else. This also restricts me in terms of wifi and battery charge. I also acknowledge how “1st world problems” this is and how lucky I have been not to catch COVID-19. I never thought of the seeing yourself thing being so harsh on yourself. I will say it is definitely something that is not common to do (I never carried around a mirror…
You are right; there are many issues with Zoom, especially when you can compare it to a real classroom learning environment. With that being said, you are also very wise, and it is true to say that we ARE, in fact, still so blessed to have an education from such a great school. At the end of the day, we are all in the same boat, even those who do not attend USC. With that being said, self-motivation became a lot harder. Regardless of the matter and the series of unfortunate events that dawned upon us this past year, as I am graduating, I am grateful that I was able to push my boundaries of education at USC and educate…
I definitely felt this over the last year. I think a lot of students, while also being burnt out from Zoom, are spending even less time outdoors than they already were. Due to the rise of personal electronics and video games, kids were already less likely to go outdoors apart from school. Now with school on Zoom, they go outside sparingly, which can be bad for them in the long time.
I agree with you on both of the aspects of zoom learning: its great that we have had this opportunity to learn and meet with our professors during a pandemic online, but also that its a difficult and new idea that isn't fully optimized. I think some of these tips would have been useful to know as I never thought about them from this perspective. The idea that the close up eye contact would be draining never occurred to me but I've resorted to walking around with my laptop in hand when I feel the need to move around. Really interesting post.
I completely agree with all the valid points and concerns you brought up regarding Zoom fatigue. While Zoom has become a relatively recent part of our work and school experience, it has presented numerous challenges for our health and mental wellbeing. I am very privileged to have access to higher education and the technology needed to flourish academically in a remote environment. Nonetheless, I am tired of spending the majority of my days tied to a computer screen which causes strain in my eyes at the end of every day. It is also challenging to concentrate in bed; hence much of my day is spent at a desk where I am hunched over, causing intense back and neck pain. While…