Why Zoom Hurts

A Cultural Sociological Approach

Abstract

During the Covid-19 pandemic, videoconferencing rapidly shifted from being a time-liberating support tool to becoming a health concern. This article explores the phenomenon of Zoom fatigue from the perspective of a sample of first-wave blog posts, editorials and chronicles reporting on a drastic digital transition. Besides highlighted complaints over headaches and tiredness, the commentaries convey experiences of failed social relations, a double-burdened work life and a disrupted sense of self. Exploring these accounts, the article broadens the scope of inquiry beyond a media-psychological analysis of a human(body)-technology-problem. We approach Zoom fatigue not primarily in terms of the digital affordances of videoconferencing on the human brain, but as a cultural phenomenon tied to shifts and disruptions beyond the interface design, related to both the unique circumstances of the pandemic and to ongoing transformations in the organization of work life in digitized societies.