The COVID-19 Pandemic has increased the use of video calls and meetings in both our personal and professional lives.
Prior to the pandemic, I rarely used video conferencing platforms and now it is part of my regular day-to-day. It is hard to imagine going back to a time when video calls are not part of our regular life.
While video calls make communication easier, there are also some limitations.
A study by Columbia Business School found that the use of video conferencing platforms is making us less creative. Researchers say this is due to the cognitive load required for these calls. It is hard to be creative when we are focusing on the video, how we look, and always needing to be on camera.
Not only is it making us less creative, but a Stanford University study found it is also making us exhausted for many of the same reasons.
Researchers note that they did not find evidence that groups using video conferencing platforms were less effective than in-person groups.
A potential solution is to allow people on these calls to periodically turn off their video cameras to reduce cognitive load, especially for longer calls.
I do not think there is a one size fits all approach since everyone is different. One person may thrive in an offline video setting while another will not. I find creative moments in many things that I do and sometimes that includes a video call.
Do you find you are more or less creative on video calls?
Joe Gullo