Most of us think forcing people to turn their cameras on improves engagement.
Experts suggest instead it disadvantages women, newcomers, + those with life happening.
Here are 5 reasons why forcing cameras ON isn't better:🧵👇
1. Having the camera on forces us to worry about self-presentation.
We feel like we are being watched.
We need to have a game face on.
Instead of focusing on content, we are drained worrying about how we present.
We actually engage LESS when we are forced to have cameras on.
2. Women + those with 'life' happening are impacted more
Shockley shows that women have more pressure to look presentable with cameras on
Those of us in shared home spaces also struggle.
Instead of being able to concentrate on content, we focus on showing a professional front.
3. Newer employees are impacted more.
People who have been in their jobs for a long time feel they have less to prove in meetings.
Their reputations are well established.
As newcomers though we have pressure to present well in meetings.
This causes more cognitive fatigue.
4. We engage LESS not more.
Shockley et al showed that we become more fatigued when we are forced to have cameras on.
Consequently they found that we speak less in meetings.
The very reasons we think we should force cameras on can actually make people feel LESS present.
5. The best meetings allow flexibility for attendees.
Finally, this is the most important idea of all.
Flexibility unlocks acknowledgement that:
• People are adults + can choose
• People can join meetings while walking/travelling/having family at home
• We trust our teams
But what about for the group rather than the individual? What about teaching/presentations?
• Presenting to black boxes isn't easy
• For lipreading we need cameras on
• It's hard to get engagement in tutorials when students have cameras off
So, it's not straightforward.
TL;DR - 5 reasons why pressurising our teams to turn cameras ON in online meetings is bad for engagement
• We worry about how we look
• We worry what's going on in the background
• We feel under scrutiny
• We engage LESS not more
• We aren't free to make our own choice
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1. Follow me for more threads on non-clinical work and education → @TessaRDavis