Seven reasons we are really sick of video calls now
When the coronavirus pandemic began and we were largely confined to our homes, digital interactions became essential for both work and socialising.
At first it was fun. Logging onto Zoom or Skype we got a glimpse into our coworkers’ homes, caught up with people we hadn’t spoken to in ages, and became obsessed with winning the weekly quiz.
Now, more than three months on, it’s a different story. The novelty has worn off and we’re desperate for just one day when we don’t have to log on for a ‘quick catch up’ (they’re never quick), or to celebrate the birthday of a distant relative with a bunch of strangers.
Here are seven reasons we’re seriously sick of video chats…
1. Video calls are awkward
Even when it’s just one on one, there’s no getting away from the awkwardness of conversing over video. There’s invariably a delay, so you end up talking over each other or both sitting in silence waiting for the other to talk, and you feel like you have to react to every little thing the other person says, so you start laughing like a maniac at the end of their not very funny story.
On group chats it’s even worse. People interrupt each other constantly, or they just don’t say a word the entire time and a few brave individuals have to keep the conversation going. Plus, you always have to wait for that one person who even manages to be late for online events. What is wrong with these people?!
2. It’s exhausting
There’s actually a reason you breathe a sigh of relief every time you hit the ‘leave’ button at the end of a meeting. ‘Zoom exhaustion’, as it’s known, is caused by the stress of online interactions, according to Gianpiero Petriglieri, associate professor at INSEAD, who told the BBC: “Our minds are together when our bodies feel we’re not. That dissonance, which causes people to have conflicting feelings, is exhausting. You cannot relax into the conversation naturally.”
3. There are always technical difficulties
Microphones and cameras that don’t work, echoing voices, unexplainable buzzing sounds… there are endless opportunities for technical difficulties on video chats and, of course, everyone has to sit there while you try and talk grandma through how to fix the problem.
That’s if you’re lucky. If you’re unlucky, you might be treated to an inadvertent display of nudity from a colleague who thinks they turned off their camera when they stood up. On the plus side, all the #zoomfail videos circulating on social media have been hilarious.
4. We can’t take any more quizzes
OK, we get that it helps to have an activity to focus on instead of trying to chat for hours on end, but must we do another quiz? By this point, the same questions are coming up in every quiz and no, we still cannot name the capital of Colombia.
Besides, the same couple of people win every week, and the rest of us end up hoping the pesky brainiacs won’t be able to make it. Then we might actually have a hope of making it into the top three.
5. Birthday calls are the worst
Yes, it’s a lovely idea to surprise someone on their birthday by gathering their nearest and dearest for a big group chat, but in reality, these ‘parties’ are not fun. Unlike a real party where you can break off and mingle, everyone has to take part in the same stilted conversation that usually revolves around dull lockdown small talk.
And, oh god, the singing. A dozen people crooning ‘Happy Birthday To You’ out of sync (and out of key) is enough to make you want to slam your laptop shut and never open it again.
6. One person always dominates
You know who I’m talking about. Maybe it’s your monotonal mother-in-law who harps on about how the neighbours haven’t been socially distancing properly.
There’s always one absolute bore on every video chat, and it takes a concerted effort to get them to shut up. Sometimes it’s impossible, so you spend the rest of the call sending snarky private messages about them to other long-suffering group members.
7. It’s impossible to leave
Because video calls are so much more exhausting than real life interactions, there’s only so long you can cope before your mind starts to wander and you’re desperate to get the hell out of there.
But with very little else in your diary, there are only so many excuses you can come up with as to why you have to depart. Plus, no one wants to be the first person to leave the group chat – you know it’s going to start a domino effect because secretly everyone wants to go.
Our advice? Turn off your camera, leave the meeting, then send a message saying your wifi cut out. Works every time.
Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto
