How Virtual Meetings Affect Women's Mental Health

We live in an increasingly virtual world shaped by more online classes, online meetings, and even remote work. While some of us may find virtual options beneficial or even empowering, time online can also negatively affect our lives. In this article, psychologists Roxanne Felig and Jamie Goldenberg discuss the toll of virtual meetings when it comes to women’s self-perception, body image, and mental health.

Being exposed to our own image constantly may lead us to self-objectify, meaning to see our own bodies as objects. Research suggests that spending long periods of time on Zoom, in particular, can have this negative effect. We may be less satisfied with our bodies and our self-esteem may decline. Self-objectification can also contribute to mental health conditions such as disordered eating, anxiety, and depression.

We can take steps to protect ourselves from some of the effects of virtual meetings. For instance, when we feel that self-objectification on Zoom affects our mental health negatively, we may choose to turn off self-view. Most important is being conscious of the ways that life online can affect us.

Researchers investigate self-objectification in experimental studies by having study participants focus on their appearance and then measure cognitive, emotional, behavioral or physiological outcomes. Research has shown that being near a mirror, taking a picture of oneself and feeling that one’s appearance is being evaluated by others all increase self-objectification. When you log in to a virtual meeting, you are essentially doing all of these things at once.

SOURCE: The Conversation • AUTHOR: Roxanne Felig and Jamie Goldenberg • LAST UPDATED: April 25, 2022