In it, we shared the story of a recent study that discovered unexpected things about fatigue caused by online meetings. This study was led by Hadar Nesher Shoshan, Junior Professor, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Wilken Wehrt, Assistant Professor, Maastricht University. The study looked at data from 125 participants across 10 days. This is a direct challenge to the widespread assumption that online meetings are somehow more tiring than in-person ones.
As the study gathered rich qualitative data on 945 different meetings, 62 percent of these meetings took place through video conferencing platforms like Zoom. Respondents provided information about their experiences in meetings, such as how engaged they were and what other tasks they completed while participating in these meetings. This comprehensive analysis aims to shed light on the phenomenon popularly referred to as “Zoom fatigue,” which emerged prominently during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Insights into Online Meetings
Shoshan and Wehrt’s study demonstrates that there’s been a huge turnabout in attitudes towards online meetings. This recent shift is setting the tone for today’s workplace. In other research, people felt more exhausted after shorter video meetings. This recent study suggests that video meetings, when kept under 44 minutes – or ideally around 30 minutes – may be less draining than all other types of meetings combined.
“Our initial hypothesis was that zoom fatigue still existed. After all, all previous studies had come to this conclusion, so there was no reason to doubt that this result was correct,” – Hadar Nesher Shoshan
This statement emphasizes just how far off the researchers’ expectations were, especially considering studies that had been done on the early pandemic already. Yet, their recent discoveries veer from those conclusions — a clear sign that new research on the matter is overdue.
Context Matters
The study’s authors emphasize that the context in which meetings occur significantly influences participants’ experiences. Shoshan points out that the circumstances that made up the pandemic milieu increased fatigue often associated with virtual meetings.
“It is more likely that the cause of zoom fatigue was the pandemic situation itself rather than the online meeting conditions,” – Hadar Nesher Shoshan
The pandemic brought about changes through lockdowns and restrictions that removed social engagement for many people across the country. The ensuing chaos led to some of the highest stress-related concerns seen nationwide. Shoshan elaborates further, stating:
“Projected onto zoom meetings, linked as they were closely with lockdown, were all the negative aspects associated with the circumstances. People were missing their old way of life, their social contacts and were no longer enjoying their work.” – Hadar Nesher Shoshan
These findings suggest that previous research may fail to reflect present attitudes toward online meetings. This underscores the imperative to replicate research findings while being attuned to the historical contexts that matter.
Implications for the Future
This study has huge practical implications for today’s working world. As more organizations adopt remote-first work models, these lessons couldn’t be more timely or applicable. The results show that leaders need to reassess their organizations’ approaches to meetings and events. They need to be more flexible too, maybe looking at shorter video meetings as a viable option to in-person sessions.
“But we have found out by means of a recent study that this is no longer the case under the conditions that prevail today,” – Hadar Nesher Shoshan
Shoshan’s comments highlight a more recent and profound change in how the online experience is understood. The study reinforces that, under current conditions, video meetings may not be more taxing than face-to-face meetings, which could have wide-ranging implications for workplace policies.
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