Bewältigungsstrategien von Videoconference Fatigue

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people’s professional and private lives globally and has led to an increasing use of digital technologies, especially video conferencing systems (e.g. Zoom, Webex, Teams, Skype). Despite the possible advantages of these systems (e.g. savings in emissions by avoiding travelling), a negative phenomenon has been reported in science and practice: Videoconference Fatigue (VCF) (often synonymously referred to as Zoom Fatigue). This term describes the exhaustion and fatigue that results from the use of videoconferencing systems. In this article we report on an analysis of the academic literature, the aim of which is to document the current state of research on coping strategies. The analysis of coping strategies helps to better understand the phenomenon of VCF and to prevent or reduce fatigue and exhaustion. Furthermore, the results reported here are a basis for future work. Specifically, as of May 2022, we have identified 48 scientific articles on VCF, 37 of which also deal with coping strategies. We divide these strategies into organizational (e.g. taking breaks during and between meetings), personal (e.g. avoiding multitasking) and technological (e.g. use of the “together mode” in Teams). An important finding of our analysis is that with the exception of one paper, the effectiveness of the coping strategies has not yet been empirically examined and thus proven. This opens up enormous future research potential.