Turning off the camera
New research conducted by Allison Gabriel, McClelland Professor of Management and Organizations and University Distinguished Scholar in the University of Arizona Eller College of Management, suggests that the camera may be partially to blame.
Gabriel’s research, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, looks at the role of cameras in employee fatigue and explores whether these feelings are worse for certain employees.
I know this was a big deal with online teaching because of student distraction, but turning the camera on wasn’t the answer. In fact, it probably was in a factor when students didn’t join meetings. The research found that “Women tend to have higher self-presentation costs than men and are likely to feel heightened pressure to demonstrate competence by appearing extra vigilant on camera,”. This was in an adult setting, but I could see this being extended to our self-conscious middle and high schoolers, especially with the latest research on how Instagram could be bad for teens’ mental health.
