Dissatisfaction with facial appearance contributes to zoom fatigue

Dissatisfaction with facial appearance contributes to zoom fatigue

Dissatisfaction with facial appearance is associated with virtual meeting (VM) fatigue, prompting the use of impression management behaviors and leading to lower intention to adopt VM technologies, according to a study published February 5, 2025 in the Open-Access JournalPLOS oneby Chaeyun Lim from Michigan State University, USA and colleagues.

The increasing reliance on VMs has led to a pervasive experience of VM fatigue, commonly referred to as zoom fatigue. This phenomenon has a significant impact on workplace productivity and individual well-being. Despite VM Madigue's critical role in shaping workplace interactions and digital inclusion in emerging virtual work environments, the impact on VM adoption and the mechanisms linking facial appearance concerns, VM fatigue, and VM adoption shifts are exceeded.

In the new study, Lim and colleagues responded to the urgent need to understand the mechanism of VM fatigue and its implications for virtual workplace technology adoption. Specifically, researchers examined impression management features tools that allow users to customize their self-video to manage their appearance. They recruited 2,448 U.S. workers to complete a 15-minute survey. The sample included professional, technical, or scientific workers who worked remotely at least sometimes and regularly attended virtual work meetings. The survey assessed participants' negative perceptions of their facial appearance as well as impression management behaviors such as using touch-up to improve self-video and using video filters or avatars.

Using structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between each factor, results showed that individuals who report increased dissatisfaction with facial appearance experience more VM fatigue, which then leads to greater use of impression management features. VM fatigue, induced by facial dissatisfaction, is associated with users recognizing VMs as less useful, ultimately influencing their intention to use VM platforms in workplace sessions. Taken together, the results advance understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying VM fatigue and their influence on technology adoption.

Study limitations include the recruitment of participants exclusively from the United States, and the survey design, which prevented researchers from identifying causal relationships between dissatisfaction with facial appearance, VM fatigue, impression management behaviors, and intentions to adopt VMs. According to the authors, future research should recruit participants from diverse cultural contexts and delve deeper into the ways in which current VM traits facilitate workplace communication in manners that support workers' well-being and socio-psychological needs.

The authors add: “Our study shows that dissatisfaction with facial appearance contributes to increased fatigue, leading to reduced adoption of virtual meeting technologies. This dissatisfaction also drives the use of impression management features and emphasizes the need to address worker well-being in virtual communication environments. “

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