Zoom Boom Gloom And Doom

According to a brief article that crossed the Cluttered Desk this morning, we as a nation are beginning to suffer ‘Zoom Fatigue.’ Apparently, all this video conferencing is wearing us down and making us yearn for nappy time.

I wonder if this work-based exhaustion would be compensable under workers’ compensation. We’re probably all too tired now to try and find out.

According to the brief blurb on LinkedIn, ‘Stanford University published the first peer-reviewed study on the pandemic-era phenomenon and found that people are constantly looking at each other directly and up close, which is behavior ordinarily reserved for close relationships.’

This apparently makes us tired. I did not realize that looking at people ‘constantly’ could be so exhausting. Although that could explain why ‘close relationships’ can be so draining.

The experts also apparently allege that ‘nonverbal cues are harder to send and receive through video chats, and seeing yourself for extended periods of time and having limited mobility can become sources of stress.’ I hear that. Non-verbal cues, like kicking an associate under the table to get them to shut up are very difficult to achieve in a virtual room.