Neurons “turn off” during video calls, according to science

video calls via Zoom and programs with similar functions – Google Meet, Skype, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams and others – have necessarily replaced face-to-face communication during the Covid-19 pandemic. After the health crisis passed, the number of remote meetings decreased, although the modality itself did not disappear. In fact, many of us enjoy its benefits even if the virtual meeting is with people living in the same area.

Now remote treatment, through a screen, will negatively affect real connections. Research by neuroscientist Joy Hirsch from Yale University in the US points to this. “Zoom seems like an impoverished social communications system compared to face-to-face conversations,” says the expert, who focused on the aforementioned app in her research.

Published in the magazine Neuroscience Imagingstudying put on a cloak scientist to a relatively generalized assumption. One that claims that genuine connections are not made during Zoom video calls and that distractions are more common than in an in-person conversation. The key to testing in both cases was the study of neuronal signals. Additionally, they examined the participants’ views.

Video calls via Zoom under the magnifying glass of science

“We discovered that The brain’s social systems are more active during meetings real than on Zoom,” notes the neuroscience expert and professor of psychiatry. Hirsch’s team used sophisticated imaging tools to track neural activity in real time, both in people talking face-to-face and during video conferences. In the first case, they discovered “complex choreography in brain regions that control human interactions.” In the second case the picture was completely different.

What happens in the brain during Zoom video calls? The number of nerve signals collected is dramatically reduced compared to in-person treatment. This is captured in a critical region called the dorsoparietal region. This is a non-trivial note, considering that this program alone is visited by 810 million unique visitors per day (data as of April 2023).

This study differs from previous studies by developing and using specific neuroimaging technologies to study the interaction of two people in a natural environment. Previous studies have focused on individuals in isolation, Yale University said in a statement. In this case, 28 healthy adults without vision problems of different gender, age and nationality took part.

Virtual interactions vs. real meetings: research details

• The Yale team used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), electroencephalography (EEG), and eye trackers. These instruments recorded brain and eye activity while people talked to each other.
• They then compared the results of couples participating in face-to-face conversations with what happens during Zoom video calls.
• To obtain accurate conclusions, pairs of interlocutors were retained. In addition, during the conversations, everyone performed the same tasks.

“These results show how important face-to-face interaction is.”

“In general, the dynamic and natural social interactions that occur spontaneously during in-person meetings seem less evident or absent during Zoom video calls,” Hirsch elaborates on what the study results show. the importance of treatment in real worldno screens between them.

Nan Zhao, Xian Zhang, J. Adam Noah and Mark Tiede, Yale researchers who worked with Hirsch, emphasize that our brains are wired to process dynamic facial cues, which is critical in all human societies. According to their laboratory data, such signs lose strength during video conferencing, despite the fact that they see the other person.

The conclusions are eloquent. In private conversations, they also recorded longer periods of attentive gaze., regarding video calls via Zoom. In addition, participants in face-to-face meetings had larger pupil diameters, which is associated with increased brain activity. “This suggests greater arousal,” the scientists explained. On the other hand, they found more coordinated neural activity among those who interacted in person.

“Online facial images, at least using current technology, do not offer the same privileged access to social neural circuits that typifies the real thing,” Hirsch concludes. Although the neuroscientist doesn’t say it directly, her comment hints at hope for virtual meetings. win relevance in our brain.

Research shows that in-person interactions differ from virtual ones because of the way we look at each other. And there seem to be restrictions software These will be the root of the difference, even now that we have cameras with very high image resolution. Will new advances—virtual reality, the metaverse, and the like—allow neurons to fire as strongly as they do in face-to-face meetings? With the deployment and development of these frameworks, we will be able to find answers within a few years.

Video calls via Zoom: they’re not so bad after all

In that paper, The researchers say their study is worthwhile because it helps understand what happens during Zoom video calls at a deep level. “Our results highlight the importance of natural stimuli for studying the processing of live faces and social interactions,” they comment. So, has interaction via virtual channels simply become impoverished, according to Hirsch’s definition?

In addition to the interesting findings discussed here, various studies show Benefits of Zoom and other programs in this category. Statistics published by Intermedia showed that video conferencing optimized communication for 99% of people, with particularly significant improvements seen in the workplace and even improved relationships between colleagues after work.

In this context Zoom seeks renewal of its offer as the golden era of remote work says goodbye as companies ask their employees to return to offices permanently. At a recent technology conference, Frederic Maris, Zoom’s head of Europe, Middle East and Africa, discussed the service’s transition. “Two years ago it was mostly just meetings,” he said. Business Insider. “We’re in completely different company now,” he said.

Where is the section: diversifying video calls on Zoom? It couldn’t be anything other than artificial intelligence! According to Maris, they recently launched an assistant that summarizes meetings, helps with classic brainstorming and composes emails. “Everyone is trying to figure out how to use AI in ways that help workers be more productive,” said a representative of the paradigmatic tool in the world of virtual conferencing. although less connected According to the study reviewed here, than face-to-face meetings, and given the challenges posed in post-pandemic times, the program is seeking to transform it again.