When I video call others, I find that I’m often not paying attention. Instead I am looking at myself. As humans we’re naturally fascinated by our reflections, so I can’t help but be transfixed as my movements are mirrored on the screen.
This unusual ability to see myself distracts me from being fully engaged in the meeting. Maintaining focus is thus harder, leading to more fatigue and less satisfaction from video calls.
Zoom has a ‘hide self view’ feature and I love it – all video communication tools should allow users to not see themselves.