Tired of video calls? Study says your Zoom background might be to blame

Videoconferencing offers many benefits, but it isn't without its share of downsides. Did you know spending hours on video calls can lead to physical, emotional, or cognitive tiredness – a phenomenon known as videoconferencing fatigue (VF). A recent study published in Frontiers in Psychology investigated whether our choice of virtual backgrounds could influence how tired we get from video calls.

Also read | Think mental health is all in your head? This study reveals how your body plays a huge role Be mindful of your virtual background choices The researchers surveyed 610 videoconferencing users in Singapore and found some interesting links between the types of backgrounds the participants used and their levels of VF. The results showed that people who use video backgrounds experienced the highest levels of VF. Those who use blurred backgrounds also experienced higher VF than those who use static images.

“We show that the use of different types and contents of virtual backgrounds can contribute to VF...

Users who utilise video virtual backgrounds experience higher levels of VF compared to those who use image or blurred virtual backgrounds,” said Heng Zhang, co-author of the study published in Frontiers in Psychology and a researcher at the Nanyang Technological University Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. “Our brains automatically react to new information in the environment. This consumes cognitive resources, which then increases cognitive load and co.