Zoom boom

10 June 2020

I’m old enough to remember when a Zoom was a rocket-shaped ice lolly with raspberry, strawberry and banana flavoured sections. Mmm.

For many people today, however, Zoom means the online video conferencing service that enables people to talk to colleagues and customers while they’re away from the office and can’t travel.

Some industry professionals have told me how exhausting the experience can be. One hirer told me that after a dozen or so such conversations in one day, he was shattered.

Indeed, psychologists now warn of ‘Zoom fatigue’. Users tire because their eyes constantly shift between looking at the laptop camera and the other participants. And you never quite see each other eye-to-eye, because of the tiny time-lag in video transmission. It’s the same with similar services like Skype.

As a solution, health experts suggest taking regular breaks, dividing one long session into smaller ones throughout the day, or switching to audio mode.

And maybe you could relax with an ice lolly.

(Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels)