Videoconferencing has provided many benefits and conveniences. However, it isn’t surprising that constantly seeing ourselves on screens might come with some downsides as well.
It’s clear that videoconferencing and social media will be with us for the foreseeable future. What does that mean when it comes to appearance satisfaction and making peace with the image that’s reflected back at us?The Covid-19 pandemic ushered in a new era of digital connection: In the absence of in-person gatherings, many people instead found themselves face-to-face with their co-workers and loved ones on a screen.
For the past 10 years, I have worked as a specialist in obsessive-compulsive disorders, eating disorders and anxiety. Since the pandemic, I, too, have seen increasing numbers of therapy clients reporting that they struggle with appearance concerns related to video chatting and social media.Every person has perceptions and thoughts about their appearance. These can be neutral, negative or positive.
Appearance dissatisfaction and negative evaluations of self are associated with depression, lower self-esteem, habitual negative thinking and increased social anxiety. What’s more, research suggests that these preoccupations can contribute to the development of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours, such as frequently restricting food intake or exercising without refuelling.
One study found that those who engaged in more video chatting appearance comparisons, meaning those who looked at others’ appearance during a video call and sized up their own appearance in comparison, experienced lower appearance satisfaction. This study also found that people who used more photo-editing features on video chat platforms were more likely to compare themselves with others and spend more time looking at themselves on video calls.
This last point is notable because of the difficulty video chatters have determining where other users are looking. Using the concept of the “spotlight effect” − our tendency as humans to overestimate how much others are judging our appearance − this difficulty may lead to more anxiety and individuals believing that others are evaluating their appearance during a video call.
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