When the 2020 pandemic sent everyone home to “shelter in place,” kids began online school and adults telecommuted using videoconferencing. Suddenly, people saw a constant reflection of themselves mirrored on the screen.
There we were, side-by-side in little boxes next to our colleagues as we pretended to listen to a department meeting or a budget update. Our every move was mirrored back to us, and it gave many people a chance to scrutinize their appearance.
Small smiles revealed previously unnoticed wrinkles or laugh lines. Speaking exposed crooked teeth. Bad lighting highlighted untouched roots. For hours on end, people in Zoom meetings were stuck looking at their imperfections.
Social scientists also had to look at themselves in teleconferences, which prompted researchers to question whether dissatisfaction with one’s appearance was a factor in Zoom fatigue. They’ve found that staring at ourselves has prompted both a mass unhappiness with appearance and an uptick in cosmetic procedures.
