Quantitative/Qualitative Data, Collection Methodologies, Extraction and Coding, and Analysis
Research Methods
Zoom fatigue
In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the world leaned on teleconferencing to communicate. We wanted to learn if such teleconferencing applications affected people after prolonged usage, a phenomenon called "Zoom fatigue."
The study aimed to identify the prolonged effect of Zoom use on daily users and identify any potential usability issues a Zoom user might face while using the videoconferencing platform.
Research Execution
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1. Consent
With any research study, obtaining participant consent is the first step. Participants should be aware of the study's purpose, risks, and incentives and must also be allowed to leave the study at any time.
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2. Daily Diaries
We selected four easy-to-answer questions for a diary study to ensure simplicity and avoid burdening participants. The study spanned three days, with participants responding using emoticons for three questions and one open-ended answer. Initial data collection preceded finalizing interview questions.
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3. Post-Diary Interviews
Participants underwent a 30-minute open-ended interview following a three-day diary study. The interview comprised four sections: warm-up, body, and cool-down. Probing follow-up questions were used during the body to clarify vague or unclear responses.
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4. Data Analysis: What was learned
Participants using Zoom for shorter durations (1-3 hours) generally felt cheerful and described the experience as good. However, those with more extended Zoom use (6-8 hours) felt tired and described the experience as exhausting.
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5. Data Analysis: Other Insights
Female participants, on average, spent 4-6 hours more on Zoom than males, possibly due to customer-facing roles in tech. Additionally, participants with negative feelings on one day tended to report the same feelings the next day before using Zoom.
Summary & Other Findings
Most participants also use a mix of video conferencing technologies such as Microsoft Teams, WebEx, Google Meet, and Skype, which is primarily determined based on "application."
In most cases, Zoom isn't the only teleconferencing software being used.
One striking theme is the stress level about having a "perfect" session, causing participants to concentrate on a higher level of awareness regarding their surroundings. In reviewing the four participants' transcripts, they were very concerned with their backgrounds, ensuring they were on mute, their video was on or off when appropriate, and displaying the correct information if sharing their screen. Two participants found it unsettling to have to look at themselves constantly. One participant was concerned about whether they were on mute or not, as they felt it was not prominently displayed.
Constant attention on awareness is emotionally exhausting.
All participants reported experiencing physical fatigue due to being sedentary and viewing a screen for long periods. While this is true for many professions, being unable to get up and move and feeling tied to a desk can be exhausting for many. Typically, in-person meetings involve standing, moving, and pointing, especially during presentations. Even so, when meetings are done in person, employees typically stand to go back to their work areas and have other opportunities to move about the office during the day.
Being sedentary causes physical fatigue.
Based on the interviews and the diary study conducted for this research, it was concluded that the general sentiment about video teleconferencing and Zoom was positive. Zoom was able to efficiently help people with their daily meetings and tasks when remote work was required.
However, prolonged use of Zoom seemed to have led to the "Zoom Fatigue." Participants who spent an average of six to seven hours on Zoom daily were physically and emotionally tired. The fatigue resulted from increased screen time, constant attention to self and surroundings while on a teleconference, and desk-bound work style.