Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have found that the increased use of videoconferencing platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to a higher level of fatigue, as reported by workers.

Following work-from-home orders issued by governments worldwide during the pandemic, many employees attended meetings virtually using technologies such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams, instead of meeting face-to-face.

In a survey conducted in December 2020, the NTU research team found that 46.2% of all respondents reported feelings of fatigue or being overwhelmed, tired, or drained from the use of videoconferencing applications.

The researchers derived the results through an analysis of a survey of 1,145 Singapore residents in full-time employment and who had indicated that they use videoconferencing apps frequently.

The researchers from the NTU Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) and its Centre for Information Integrity and the Internet (IN-cube), published their findings in the journal Computers in Human Behavior Reports in June 2022.

Assistant Professor Benjamin Li, from NTU’s WKWSCI, who led the study, said: “We were motivated to conduct our study after hearing of increasing reports of fatigue from the use of videoconferencing applications during the pandemic. We found that there was a clear relation between the increased use of videoconferencing and fatigue in Singaporean workers. Our findings are even more relevant in today’s context, as the use of videoconferencing tools is here to stay, due to flexible work arrangements being a continuing trend.” He is also a member of IN-cube.

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