Zoom Anxiety and Fatigue

Raising Awareness

This information is shared to simply raise faculty awareness to tune into synchronous learning video requirements and student responsiveness. As synchronous learning using Zoom, Virtual Classroom or Google Meet becomes more commonplace, the question about camera expectations requires consideration to produce a healthy learning scenario for both students and faculty.

Larger mental health issues, in general, due to COVID (See Effects of COVID-19 on College Students’ Mental Health in the United States: Interview Survey Study) sets a stage of anxiety before even coming to class. Students may already be struggling with a variety of issues and we’re about to add more on so being aware of the potential areas of concern can help us create a basis of understanding to move forward.

The reality of synchronous video-based class learning scenarios may present many anxiety-inducing challenges for students, including:

1. Anxiety to be forced to be seen up close and personal with peers for extended periods of time.

2. Fatigue to have so many hours with eyes focused on the monitor.

3. Fear, anxiety and/or embarrassment to have the home-life exposed in the background.

4. Distracted as students may have others in the room causing disruption during the synchronous session.

5. Poor/unstable video streams (WiFi connections) might suggest to classmates that a student cannot afford a better internet (revealing equity issues) which also increases social anxiety.

Articles in student newspapers and interviews with campus counselors across the country speak about increased mental health challenges as a major concern before the pandemic hit that are now being exacerbated in this new environment.

Despite all of these challenges, faculty may feel compelled to require students to have their cameras on during synchronous sessions in order to take attendance, have some assurance that students are still physically present, or as some indicator of student engagement. There are several things that faculty may consider or do when weighing the camera-on or off decision.

1. Survey your students anonymously. Get a sense of how comfortable they are with having the camera on and if they have sufficient internet bandwidth to support video-on conferencing then come up with a class policy that is supportive of all your needs and concerns. Encouraging students to share their concerns and be part of the discussion demonstrates you care and increases the likelihood they will follow the policy.

2. Reflect on why you want the camera on. What purpose does it serve - see my students, observing skills, community building? Take a look at this infographic to help you think through this. Can you achieve the same goal through different means without the camera that will not invoke similar anxiety, fear, fatigue?

3. Consider adding information to your syllabus about how you will utilize video throughout the course and what the expectations are and how students can communicate their concerns. Include statements about appropriate behaviors and etiquette for the online and video conferencing platforms, when will cameras be required, etc. Include information about Academic Support Services and Counseling Services for those students who need support with anxiety, etc.

4. If engagement is the concern, try using polls, random calling on students, integrate a chat response periodically, use other technologies (Google docs, Padlet, Jamboard, etc) to track if students are following along and capture questions they might have. Check out this article for a few ideas or review the student engagement or synchronous teaching workshop recordings offered by OTTL.

5. Consider what you will do for students who need accommodations for special needs or religious objections to the camera. Will these accommodations make it better for everyone? If so, implement for all.

6. Consider having students use the built-in feedback tools in Zoom such as Raise/Lower Hand, Smiley face, Clapping Hands, etc. in place of the camera and agree as to how these tools will be used to convey different things.

Remember, if you are recording your sessions, please be sure to include a statement in your syllabus and inform students at the beginning of the session that they are being recorded. Consider that some students may reject being recorded due to religious or other reasons and be prepared to accommodate such a request.

A student quote to ponder, “I can focus more without the video because I feel more free…like I’m listening to a podcast and taking notes.”

In addition to these issues, another topic of note is frequently referred to as Zoom Fatigue, and can affect students and teachers alike:

1. Increased eye strain and tension headaches.

2. Increased cognitive load as the brain tries to decipher facial expressions and eye movements and determine meaning when staring at all those faces on the screen.

3. Lack of sufficient down-time between classes for the brain to rest and recover.

4. Frustration with video feed delays (ie, is the person still listening or is the video frozen?) can cause stress when trying to participate in class.

5. Increased screen time is linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression.

It is important to recognize that these factors also have an effect on our students and their ability to stay engaged in the learning process.

Here are a few helpful resources.

10 Ways College Students Can Combat Zoom Fatigue

3 Tips to Manage Zoom Anxiety

How to Manage Zoom Fatigue

Here’s a link to Dr. Bob Bohlander’s Wilkes Wellness Wednesday presentation about mental health wellness which includes information about dealing with Zoom anxiety and fatigue (at 31 minute mark).

Updated 2/19/21