COVID 19’s Video Conferencing: A Drain to the Brain

Video conferencing and socializing allows social interactions to happen through a computer window, but it cannot replace the real thing. Our brain neurons require other people’s neurons to thrive and survive. In-person, social contact creates an ‘”energy” that affects our brains differently, which in turn, affects our mood.

We must work harder to process non-verbal cues, facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the other person’s voices, and body language to interpret the totality of the conversation.

Meanwhile, each person is struggling with performance anxiety, watching everyone as they watch you. Conversing feels unnatural and awkward. Moments of silence which are natural in person feel uncomfortable. So, we work harder to keep an artificial constant dialogue.

And, the video conferencing and chatting itself become a constant reminder of what we have temporarily lost in this COVID-19 world.

So, if you are like me and feeling exhausted and less fulfilled with your video chats and conferences, you are not alone. YOU ARE HUMAN.

However, we must let the light shine out of darkness. My next blog will focus on what we can do to make video chatting and conferencing less stressful, more comfortable, AND more meaningful.

Hang in there, we’ll get through this together!