Zoom Fatigue is the Next Pandemic

Nicole Ardila/Contributing Writer

Sitting down every day is more tiring than it seems. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started, most of us have been glued to our computers and screens more than ever. 

Zoom is one of the video-call platforms that have reunited teachers and students to resume classes virtually. Seeing people we usually interact with in-person can feel lonely since online socialization is not the same. Our minds aren’t meant for staring at screens all day, we are pushing them to their limits, affecting both our mental and physical health. 

Every day I wake up with energy and have my breakfast before starting class. I sit down and join the Zoom call, and feel tired already after ten minutes. Sometimes, I don’t know if it’s the screen that tires my eyes or feeling unengaged from the virtual lectures. 

Interacting through video-conferences requires more focus on facial expressions, body language and tone of voice to understand the person speaking, which makes it exhausting for us. 

Breakout rooms are another challenge, people turn their mics and cameras off and there is just a long awkward silence until someone decides to speak up. Usually, in-person group work is more interactive and you have an actual chance of forming bonds with your classmates. It’s difficult to understand if someone is bored, mad or unengaged in a conversation when you’re just sitting down in front of a screen because you have to. 

Humans are meant to be social, and it benefits both our emotional and physical health. 

Belonging in a social network is good for people of all ages because it can help reduce depression. For those entering university life, having a social network reduces stress.

Even though you can video chat with many people at once or have a movie watch party, it is just not the same as face-to-face interaction. Take it from someone who celebrated their birthday virtually when quarantine first started. I threw a “Zoom party”, and I can tell you, it only made me sad that I was locked in and couldn’t be with my friends. Something about talking with people over the phone or video chat does not satisfy the socialization aspect of our lives. 

Another thing that makes us anxious about being on a Zoom call, is feeling self-aware of the fact that we are constantly being watched. It isn’t normal for us to see ourselves while we’re speaking, so being aware of what we look like during a presentation is more nerve-wracking. This makes us more self-conscious of what we look like to others. I’m guilty of doing this too. Often when the professor is speaking, I’m busy thinking about how my classmates see me. Every time I’m going to answer a question in class, I’m looking at other people’s faces to see their reactions. I’m more self-conscious with the faces I’m making, my posture and the area around me because there is a camera pointing at me. In a physical class, no one would really focus on themselves, because the attention is what is in front of them, the teacher. On a computer screen, you can see everyone at the same time. 

An alternative for that would be turning off your camera. The problem with that is it will create a less engaging class, and it honestly just makes me feel bad for the professors. Imagine teaching a class in front of a black screen, not being able to see students’ reactions. Just not being able to see faces, makes the classes more lonely. When a class isn’t engaging, students won’t pay attention, be more distracted on their phones and fall behind in class. 

Distance learning can feel unmotivating. It feels like there are more piles of homework since virtual classes started. With all the notes we have to take, the hours of Zoom classes and the schoolwork we have to do, it feels like we never get off the computer. A class can get boring after watching a screen for an hour, I can’t help but grab my phone a few times or walk downstairs to get a snack and come back up when the class has ended. Then you have no idea what was discussed in class. You end up feeling lazy and too tired to read the textbook or notes. Then you end up falling behind on the material and struggle on the assignments. Wow, that was a down-spiral, but it’s the reality of how students are feeling. 

Besides how our mental health is affected, let’s talk about our physical health. So, I assume you don’t take your Zoom class with you on your jog, basketball practice, or your gym workout. Everyone either takes their class sitting down at a desk or laying down in bed. Sitting for too long can cause weight gain, back and shoulder pain, and these can later develop into heart disease and diabetes.

Zoom classes keep our eyes glued to the computer screen for hours, which causes pain in our eyes, blurry vision, headaches, dry eyes, eyestrain, exhaustion, sleeplessness and fatigue. All of these effects drove me to the eye doctor because I felt my vision getting worse and my eyes getting itchy. It was concluded that since classes were all virtual, the screen time I spend daily is straining and drying my eyes. 

Experts say we should limit the number of Zoom calls we join to those that are necessary. As students, it’s inevitable, we have no other choice. If you have a hybrid class that has some in-person interactions, give it a chance. We need that socialization again before we all become hermits hiding in our own shells. 

Now that the pandemic is more under control, we need to think about our mental health as well. Staring at screens all day isn’t healthy in any way. If you can’t make it to the on-campus classes, that’s fine too, but make sure you’re doing your part to get up, stay active, and live the life around you, not in front of you. Maybe you don’t have time in your day to go and workout, but there are plenty of at-home exercises that you can do to give yourself a break.

Remember that the most important thing is your wellness. Check on yourself to see if you feel okay emotionally and physically after sitting down at your computer all day. At the end of the day, we are all going through this together, we are all facing the same challenges, we can find a solution to keep ourselves happy and healthy.

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.