Online Meetings Still Trigger Anxiety for Many
Virtual gatherings continue to induce stress for numerous participants - Digital gatherings continue to induce anxiety for numerous participants
Five years post the COVID-19 pandemic pandemic, virtual meetings continue to induce anxiety for numerous individuals. The extent of this anxiety fluctuates based on who's in attendance, according to a survey conducted by Logitech. When assessed on a scale of 1 to 10, just before a 15-minute online meeting with external parties like clients or superiors, a staggering 27% of survey respondents registered stress levels of 7 or higher. In contrast, when it comes to meetings with colleagues, the figure drops to about 21%. The survey targeted individuals chiefly engaged in computer work.
However, stress figures also display an immense disparity by gender. Across all scenarios, female respondents expressed significantly higher stress levels compared to their male counterparts. The most substantial difference was observed in interactions with external parties, where 33% of women reported high stress levels against 22% of men.
Age, surprisingly, plays a role, but not in the expected manner. Based on the survey, middle-aged employees experienced the most anxiety, while younger and older employees demonstrated comparatively lower anxiety levels.
Encouragingly, respondents were not universally averse to virtual meetings. When asked for their preferred format, 30% opted for virtual meetings, 36% favored physical meetings, and 27% preferred hybrid meetings. Notably, women and middle-aged individuals showed a slight inclination towards virtual meetings - the same demographic groups that expressed the most anxiety prior to them.
One possible cause for this anxiety could stem from concerns regarding technical hiccups during the meeting. 29% of respondents affirmed experiencing such issues, with 14% admitting to regular technical troubles and 12% ignoring or cancelling meetings owing to these concerns. However, roughly two-thirds of respondents declared themselves well-prepared for virtual meetings, with minimal difference between office and home office settings.
Serkan Ates from Logitech comments, "Reliable meeting technology now acts as a competitive edge." He argues that companies offering robust tools to their employees reduce frustration, increase performance, and enhance overall satisfaction." The survey was commissioned by Logitech from YouGov, which questioned over 2,110 individuals primarily working on computers in April.
- Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, video conferencing, Logitech, computer, anxiety
- Potential causes of stress in virtual meetings:
- Technical issues
- Discomfort or inadequate setups
- Pressure to perform well
To minimize anxiety in virtual meetings, it is essential to address these underlying factors, ensuring both a comfortable environment and dependable technology.
- Despite the passage of five years since the COVID-19 pandemic, online meetings continue to trigger anxiety for many individuals, particularly when interacting with external parties such as clients or superiors.
- Interestingly, the survey conducted by Logitech revealed substantial disparities in stress levels by gender, with female respondents expressing significantly higher stress levels compared to their male counterparts, especially when interacting with external parties.
- Age, surprisingly, seems to play a role, with middle-aged employees experiencing the most anxiety in virtual meetings, while younger and older employees demonstrate comparatively lower anxiety levels.
- Logitech's survey also found that while technical issues during virtual meetings can cause anxiety for some individuals, nearly two-thirds of respondents declared themselves well-prepared for these meetings, with minimal difference between office and home office settings.
