With online video calls through platforms like Zoom and Teams becoming a common practice in our day-to-day work life, it is now being seen as the most feasible and easy way to communicate. 
 
However, a recent study says that such video calls may not actually be the 'smoothest' way to hold conversations. 
 
The new research has revealed that the human brain finds it challenging to process conversations that take place through video calls in comparison to face-to-face conversations. 
 
The findings made in a study carried out at Yale University emphasises&nbsp;how important it is to hold in-person communication and this is how humans naturally interact with others.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pandemic-impacted-brain-health-of-elderlies-even-if-they-didnt-catch-covid-654112">Brain health of those 50 and above declined rapidly during the pandemic: Study</a>

"The social systems of the human brain are more active during real live in-person encounters than on Zoom," stated neuroscientist Joy Hirsch, who is the senior author of the published paper. 
 
"Online representations of faces, at least with current technology, do not have the same 'privileged access' to social neural circuitry in the brain that is typical of the real thing,” he added. 
 
As per Hirsch and her colleagues, neuroimaging was used by most of the studies previously carried out to record brain activity amid social interactions, which involved individual people.

<h2>Study recorded people's eye and brain activity during conversation</h2>

In this study, the researchers carried out a comparison between how people interacted with one another in real-time. The participants included 28 healthy adults who had no vision impairments and belonged to different ages, genders, and ethnicities. 
 
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), eye trackers and electroencephalography (EEG) were used by Hirsch and the team to carefully record the eye and brain activity of people when they were talking to each other. 
 
The results of pairs who participated in live face-to-face conversations were compared to those who used Zoom to hold video chats. No changes were made in the conversation partners and the same task was completed by each pair during the conversations.

WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas: How COVID-19 compromises brain function

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In comparison to interactions which took place on Zoom, face-to-face discussions saw an increase in signal in the brain's critical area, which is called the dorsal-parietal region. 
 
"Pupil diameters were generally larger for in-person faces than for virtual faces suggesting increased arousal for in-person faces. In addition, the magnitudes of the pupil responses were reciprocated by partners,” stated the team. 
 
"Overall, the dynamic and natural social interactions that occur spontaneously during in-person interactions appear to be less apparent or absent during Zoom encounters. This is a really robust effect,” explained Hirsch.

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

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With online video calls through platforms like Zoom and Teams becoming a common practice in our day-to-day work life, it is now being seen as the most feasible and easy way to communicate.

With online video calls through platforms like Zoom and Teams becoming a common practice in our day-to-day work life, it is now being seen as the most feasible and easy way to communicate. However, a recent study says that such video calls may not actually be the 'smoothest' way to hold conversations. The new research has revealed that the human brain finds it challenging to process conversations that take place through video calls in comparison to face-to-face conversations. The findings made in a study carried out at Yale University emphasises how important it is to hold in-person communication and this is how humans naturally interact with others. ALSO READ | Brain health of those 50 and above declined rapidly during the pandemic: Study "The social systems of the human brain are more active during real live in-person encounters than on Zoom," stated neuroscientist Joy Hirsch, who is the senior author of the published paper. "Online representations of faces, at least with current technology, do not have the same 'privileged access' to social neural circuitry in the brain that is typical of the real thing,” he added. As per Hirsch and her colleagues, neuroimaging was used by most of the studies previously carried out to record brain activity amid social interactions, which involved individual people. Study recorded people's eye and brain activity during conversation In this study, the researchers carried out a comparison between how people interacted with one another in real-time. The participants included 28 healthy adults who had no vision impairments and belonged to different ages, genders, and ethnicities. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), eye trackers and electroencephalography (EEG) were used by Hirsch and the team to carefully record the eye and brain activity of people when they were talking to each other. The results of pairs who participated in live face-to-face conversations were compared to those who used Zoom to hold video chats. No changes were made in the conversation partners and the same task was completed by each pair during the conversations. WATCH | Gravitas: How COVID-19 compromises brain function In comparison to interactions which took place on Zoom, face-to-face discussions saw an increase in signal in the brain's critical area, which is called the dorsal-parietal region. "Pupil diameters were generally larger for in-person faces than for virtual faces suggesting increased arousal for in-person faces. In addition, the magnitudes of the pupil responses were reciprocated by partners,” stated the team. "Overall, the dynamic and natural social interactions that occur spontaneously during in-person interactions appear to be less apparent or absent during Zoom encounters. This is a really robust effect,” explained Hirsch. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Is human brain failing to process information on Zoom calls? Study says 'yes'

In a world where 25 hours on average are being spent by executives every week attending meetings, a recent survey suggests that offices can run smoothly even after cutting down those video calls and project updates to half.

The survey was conducted on around 10,000 desk workers by Future Forum,&nbsp; a research consortium supported by Salesforce Inc-owned Slack Technologies.

The study revealed that business leaders have been attending many unproductive meetings with the hope that it would be a good use of their working hours, but it ultimately wasn't.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/no-ethics-needed-for-ai-microsoft-sacks-entire-ethics-and-society-team-that-ensure-ai-principles-572035">No ethics needed for AI? Microsoft sacks entire ethics and society team that ensures AI principles</a>

The meetings are also attended by employees to show their manager that they are working and because they don't want to miss something important, the survey found.

For the employees in the lower position, the reason for attending the meetings is that they don't have a choice. The study's findings come at a time when various organisations are making efforts to understand which meetings are really important and which ones need to be jettisoned in a growing hybrid workplace where staffers are not always present at the same location.

Canadian e-commerce site Shopify Inc said that it is working to eliminate 320,000 hours of meetings in 2023 by suspending all recurring meetings that are held with more than two people, making Wednesday a “no-meetings” day and putting a limit on large gatherings while encouraging employees to decline some invites.

WATCH | Gravitas: Will 2023 be about returning to offices?

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Another survey suggested that around $100 million is wasted every year on non-critical meetings at big organisations, which also found that workers decline only 14 per cent of invites even though they are willing to back out from 31 per cent of them.

Brian Elliott, a Slack executive who oversees the research of Future Forum, said, "There's no one-size-fits-all approach to eliminating unnecessary meetings. So get comfortable with experimenting and iterating."&nbsp;

You can&nbsp;now write for wionews.com&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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In a world where 25 hours on average are being spent by executives every week attending meetings, a recent survey suggests that offices can run smoothly even after cutting down those video calls and project updates to half.

In a world where 25 hours on average are being spent by executives every week attending meetings, a recent survey suggests that offices can run smoothly even after cutting down those video calls and project updates to half. The survey was conducted on around 10,000 desk workers by Future Forum, a research consortium supported by Salesforce Inc-owned Slack Technologies. The study revealed that business leaders have been attending many unproductive meetings with the hope that it would be a good use of their working hours, but it ultimately wasn't. ALSO READ | No ethics needed for AI? Microsoft sacks entire ethics and society team that ensures AI principles The meetings are also attended by employees to show their manager that they are working and because they don't want to miss something important, the survey found. For the employees in the lower position, the reason for attending the meetings is that they don't have a choice. The study's findings come at a time when various organisations are making efforts to understand which meetings are really important and which ones need to be jettisoned in a growing hybrid workplace where staffers are not always present at the same location. Canadian e-commerce site Shopify Inc said that it is working to eliminate 320,000 hours of meetings in 2023 by suspending all recurring meetings that are held with more than two people, making Wednesday a “no-meetings” day and putting a limit on large gatherings while encouraging employees to decline some invites. WATCH | Gravitas: Will 2023 be about returning to offices? Another survey suggested that around $100 million is wasted every year on non-critical meetings at big organisations, which also found that workers decline only 14 per cent of invites even though they are willing to back out from 31 per cent of them. Brian Elliott, a Slack executive who oversees the research of Future Forum, said, "There's no one-size-fits-all approach to eliminating unnecessary meetings. So get comfortable with experimenting and iterating." You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Offices can run smoothly with even half of meetings held daily: Survey

Zoom meetings are the new thing and so is the fatigue that comes with it. As the pandemic hit the world and locked everyone in their homes, office meetings shifted from conference rooms to video rooms.

While video conferences looked and sounded fun and interesting in the beginning, they slowly started affecting everyone’s mood, energy and resources.

Also read |&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/should-you-be-using-the-video-conferencing-app-zoom-293629" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/should-you-be-using-the-video-conferencing-app-zoom-293629&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiKp5OD04fwAhUzzjgGHepEBsUQFjABegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XaztzT46IiVxSDsX4HQ0q" dir="ltr" href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/should-you-be-using-the-video-conferencing-app-zoom-293629&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiKp5OD04fwAhUzzjgGHepEBsUQFjABegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XaztzT46IiVxSDsX4HQ0q" target="_blank">Should you be using the video-conferencing app&nbsp;Zoom?</a>

However, a new study has revealed that 'Zoom fatigue' is real and it is worse for women than it is for men, citing various reasons.

The study was conducted on nearly 10,500 people who were asked about their experiences with video conferencing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/zoom-video-conferencing-app-admits-it-routed-calls-through-china-by-mistake-290937">Zoom, video-conferencing app admits it routed calls through China by mistake&nbsp;</a>

One of the major reasons behind women getting adversely affected by Zoom video calls is the feature of having the opportunity to look at your own image on the screen. Body issue came out as a major reason behind the extreme fatigue.

Many women reported that they sometimes zone out during the meetings as they start getting too critical about the dark circles under their eyes or double chin or ‘fatty chin’, and more. Such self-criticism takes a toll on women and affects them negatively, bringing in mental tiredness.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-are-concerns-being-raised-on-zoom-apps-safety-and-security-290208">Why are concerns being raised on Zoom app's safety and security?</a>

Researchers also found out that looking at one’s own image for long periods has had a negative effect, especially on women.

It has also been revealed that women tend to have longer meetings with shorter breaks, which can also be due to the kind of work they are doing and also due to the house-work balance they have had to, unfortunately, maintain.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dethroning-whatsapp-tiktok-video-conferencing-app-zoom-tops-download-charts-289800">Dethroning, Whatsapp, TikTok video conferencing app Zoom tops download charts</a>

Younger people, too, have reported higher levels of tiredness due to video conferencing as they have also had the pressure of appearing in certain ways in front of their peers, and have faced extreme fatigue due to body image issues.

Non-white people also reported fatigue but the reason was majorly their introverted nature which was being faltered with the easy access of video conferencing now.

Researchers have advised people to switch off the self-view feature in the video conferencing software and websites to make sure the participants can be less critical of themselves, and take proper breaks in between in which they have been advised to walk away from screens.

Zoom meetings are the new thing and so is the fatigue that comes with it. As the pandemic hit the world and locked everyone in their homes, office meetings shifted from conference rooms to video rooms.

Zoom meetings are the new thing and so is the fatigue that comes with it. As the pandemic hit the world and locked everyone in their homes, office meetings shifted from conference rooms to video rooms. While video conferences looked and sounded fun and interesting in the beginning, they slowly started affecting everyone’s mood, energy and resources. Also read | Should you be using the video-conferencing app Zoom? However, a new study has revealed that 'Zoom fatigue' is real and it is worse for women than it is for men, citing various reasons. The study was conducted on nearly 10,500 people who were asked about their experiences with video conferencing during the coronavirus pandemic. Also read | Zoom, video-conferencing app admits it routed calls through China by mistake One of the major reasons behind women getting adversely affected by Zoom video calls is the feature of having the opportunity to look at your own image on the screen. Body issue came out as a major reason behind the extreme fatigue. Many women reported that they sometimes zone out during the meetings as they start getting too critical about the dark circles under their eyes or double chin or ‘fatty chin’, and more. Such self-criticism takes a toll on women and affects them negatively, bringing in mental tiredness. Also read | Why are concerns being raised on Zoom app's safety and security? Researchers also found out that looking at one’s own image for long periods has had a negative effect, especially on women. It has also been revealed that women tend to have longer meetings with shorter breaks, which can also be due to the kind of work they are doing and also due to the house-work balance they have had to, unfortunately, maintain. Also read | Dethroning, Whatsapp, TikTok video conferencing app Zoom tops download charts Younger people, too, have reported higher levels of tiredness due to video conferencing as they have also had the pressure of appearing in certain ways in front of their peers, and have faced extreme fatigue due to body image issues. Non-white people also reported fatigue but the reason was majorly their introverted nature which was being faltered with the easy access of video conferencing now. Researchers have advised people to switch off the self-view feature in the video conferencing software and websites to make sure the participants can be less critical of themselves, and take proper breaks in between in which they have been advised to walk away from screens.

Zoom fatigue is real and worse for women, study reveals

The past year has been challenging for film-makers, who had to battle coronavirus travel restrictions and social distancing rules to participate in what is ordinarily a team activity.

But one film in this year`s Berlin Film Festival line-up embraced the spirit of the pandemic like no other: American director Natalie Morales`s 'Language Lessons'&nbsp;is a drama enacted via Zoom, revealing new artistic possibilities in the process. 
 
The film casts Morales as Carino, a language teacher from Costa Rica giving Spanish lessons via video call to Adam, a wealthy Oakland, California house husband played by Mark Duplass. But a sudden emotional blow transforms their relationship. 
 
"We didn`t know if it would work," Morales said of the film, shot over the summer by a skeleton crew entirely from the perspective of the two characters` webcams. 
 
"We didn`t really know how we were going to shoot it or if it was going to look good or if people were going to be bored to death or if we were going to be bored to death," she added. 
 
Duplass, who co-wrote the script with Morales, said he had been inspired by the experience of taking online language classes during lockdown. 
 
"We developed a bond just through the screen. And I thought this could be an interesting way to make a movie with the limitation of the COVID lockdown," he said." 
 
All of the films in this year`s Berlinale were shaped by the pandemic they were shot during. Actors wear masks in several films, notably Romanian director Radu Jude`s black sex comedy `Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn`, whose characters seem to poison their own environment as efficiently as any virus. 
But `Language Lessons` embraces the lived experiences of home workers during a pandemic year, exploring the curious ambivalence and intensity of online relationships conducted over weeks and months. 
 
"We`re still tired of Zoom, but we`re so used to it that it`s a language we understand," Morales said. "You relate to the nature of that relationship in a way that you wouldn`t have two years ago." 
&nbsp;

The past year has been challenging for film-makers, who had to battle coronavirus travel restrictions and social distancing rules to participate in what is ordinarily a team activity.

The past year has been challenging for film-makers, who had to battle coronavirus travel restrictions and social distancing rules to participate in what is ordinarily a team activity. But one film in this year`s Berlin Film Festival line-up embraced the spirit of the pandemic like no other: American director Natalie Morales`s 'Language Lessons' is a drama enacted via Zoom, revealing new artistic possibilities in the process. The film casts Morales as Carino, a language teacher from Costa Rica giving Spanish lessons via video call to Adam, a wealthy Oakland, California house husband played by Mark Duplass. But a sudden emotional blow transforms their relationship. "We didn`t know if it would work," Morales said of the film, shot over the summer by a skeleton crew entirely from the perspective of the two characters` webcams. "We didn`t really know how we were going to shoot it or if it was going to look good or if people were going to be bored to death or if we were going to be bored to death," she added. Duplass, who co-wrote the script with Morales, said he had been inspired by the experience of taking online language classes during lockdown. "We developed a bond just through the screen. And I thought this could be an interesting way to make a movie with the limitation of the COVID lockdown," he said." All of the films in this year`s Berlinale were shaped by the pandemic they were shot during. Actors wear masks in several films, notably Romanian director Radu Jude`s black sex comedy `Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn`, whose characters seem to poison their own environment as efficiently as any virus. But `Language Lessons` embraces the lived experiences of home workers during a pandemic year, exploring the curious ambivalence and intensity of online relationships conducted over weeks and months. "We`re still tired of Zoom, but we`re so used to it that it`s a language we understand," Morales said. "You relate to the nature of that relationship in a way that you wouldn`t have two years ago."

Shot during pandemic, Berlinale film explores lives lived on Zoom

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zoom calls

Is human brain failing to process information on Zoom calls? Study says 'yes'

Offices can run smoothly with even half of meetings held daily: Survey

Zoom fatigue is real and worse for women, study reveals

Shot during pandemic, Berlinale film explores lives lived on Zoom