Side- effects of the online learning and how to tackle them effectively
Date : 18/05/2024
For what seemed like the fifteenth time in the past half minute, Akshay glanced at the clock. It was 3:57 PM, Friday afternoon. "Three more minutes!" he sighed. Classes couldn't be more boring, he thought, as he drifted away to sleep again.
About a year ago, when colleges across the country had begun suspending classes in the wake of the first wave of the pandemic, Akshay's college had been one of the first to adopt the then-emerging trend of online learning. A necessary evil. Online learning, apart from implying a greater onus on the student for their learning, invariably entailed more screen time - something Akshay loved. An avid gamer spending the better part of his day (during vacations) interacting with the virtual world and a zoomer - colloquial for Gen Z, anything involving a screen and software not only excited him but was also a child's play.
Yet this was a different ball game. He could spend most of his day with the screen, and yes, he could have the freedom to play around on his screen a bit. A bit, maybe. But attending college from his home meant focusing and sitting for long periods. Letting aside the minuscule pockets of time during which he bends his gaze to jot down something the professor says, Akshay has to pay attention to what he is saying, either by looking at him or the screen he is sharing. Not that he has issues with focusing or concentrating, but with every sound - either from a WhatsApp forward popping up on his phone or from a truck's horn that reminds him of a song from a recently famous movie - his attention is instantly broken. It might seem as though gamifying learning would have been his best recourse. But there was another issue.
Akshay, being young blood, could not stomach sitting for long periods at a stretch. Back at college, he'd walk almost three to four kilometers every day - from the college foyer to the classroom, classroom to the mess, classroom to seminar hall, etc. - apart from his daily morning fitness routine. For over a year now, his movements have gotten restricted to tapping the keyboard and mouse. The once fit and dapper college student is now not only having obesity issues (due to lack of movement) but also having attention deficit, wavering focus, and lack of interest and passion.
***
Ever since the benevolence of COVID - 19 graced us, people - those who work in schools, colleges, companies - have shifted to an online mode of working. "Work From Home" (WFH) is the new buzzword these days - past 12 months. To facilitate such a shift, tech companies have vied (and are vying) with each other to increase their share of the pie they own by providing better video conferencing facilities. Although video conferencing has its advantages/benefits, people are now beginning to raise questions about its efficiency.
Work From Home has blurred the boundaries of work and home. They are no more separate and mutually disjoint. While that has its benefits, drawing the line becomes crucial to your productivity. Days do seem longer in the virtual world. Recent studies on mental health have shown that virtual sessions/meetings affect mental health and may even worsen existing conditions in some cases. Prolonged exposure to screens has shown increased stress and anxiety resulting from social isolation.
Zoom Fatigue is the name given to the phenomenon of experiencing tiredness/burnout resulting from the overuse of virtual video conferencing platforms. Although the term has originated from the cloud-based video conferencing and video chat software Zoom, it also refers to similar fatigue resulting from the usage of Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Cisco Webex, Skype, etc. So, you would have zoom fatigue even after a google meet.
The pertinent question that arises now is: Aren't online meetings supposed to be less tiring? After all, you don't even have to get up from your chair to go into the meet. So, what causes it?
What you say accounts for only 7% of communication. How you say, 38%. The remaining portion of the large pie of communication - 55%, is due to non-verbal communication. Virtual communication, then, is communication at only 45% efficiency. This means that more than half the information of a conversation in a virtual meeting is lost! This not only makes an online conversation more monotonous, but the incomplete information cycle also reduces the efficiency and productivity of the exchange, resulting in increased fatigue.
Admit it. You may have a 3G/ 4G... NG Network, but there is bound to be some time delay. (You may thank Rodolph Clausius' and William Thomson's second law of thermodynamics for it)
Delays in response remove the humanness of interactions. In typical human interaction, the average response time lies within a few hundred milliseconds. Unfortunately, in an online conversation, the response time is longer than that, sometimes even more than a few seconds! Every time you have to strain yourself to understand an exchange or be in the flow of the exchange, you exert more energy than necessary for communication. Hence the fatigue.
The greatest good, sometimes, turns out to be the greatest bad. The biggest advantage of online meetings is simply the lack of focused or dedicated movement. You need not go all the way to your school/ college/ office to join a meeting. Sitting in the comfort of your home, just a few clicks of your mouse would suffice. But that is not always helpful.
A recent study published in CyberPsychology reported that sedentary behavior and lack of movement resulted in impaired motor ability in children. Physical movement, scientists say, enables better thinking and focus. Thus, a lack of physical movement not only ensures obesity but also fuels lethargy and fatigue.
How to combat Zoom Fatigue?
Having known the various causes for Zoom Fatigue, the next obvious question that arises is, "Can you prevent Zoom Fatigue?" If Yes, then how can you prevent it? Yes, Zoom Fatigue is preventable.
Multitasking, in its truest sense, is not multitasking. Recent studies show that humans are not even capable of doing multiple things at the same time. Simply put, it is just rapidly alternating between multiple tasks - simultaneous and simple tasking done fast. It not only decreases your ability to focus on a few important tasks but also leaves attention residue on each of the tasks undertaken, implying a lesser focus on any task. Reducing distractions on your desk - by clearing the clutter - and desktop - by closing tabs that unnecessarily draw your attention -would go a long way to increase focus, enhance productivity and reduce fatigue.
Taking a break helps rejuvenate and increase your focus on the task at hand. A study conducted by the University of Illinois found improved performance levels of participants taking just two short breaks during a 50-minute task. It also reported that "prolonged exposure to the same sensory stimulus, such as a computer screen, causes the brain to get used to what you are seeing - and therefore more likely to miss important details." Thus, scheduling a break between meetings or classes is an important way to get yourself moving and feel rejuvenated.
Prevention is better than cure, goes the age-old adage. While deciding on the mode of communication, a better option would be to consider all the other modes of communication, before jumping to undertake a video call. If a conversation can take place without the need for a video, then the exchange could conveniently be over text, mail, or even a voice call. Doing this would ensure you don't have to have a video conference without the need for it.
Virtual meetings are here to stay. They aren't going away anytime soon. But, you now know what causes that nagging unpleasant feeling every time you get off an online video call and what you could do to prevent it!
Image Credits: flickr.com
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