By now, we’re all well-versed in this world of meeting id’s and virtual wait rooms. Students have had classes in different modalities and in-person events are highly restricted. But did you know that there’s a science behind the type of burnout that’s exclusive to being online?
Virtual meetings make us ever-present of our cameras, other participants, whether we appear engaged, all before we get to the actual content. We end up over-emoting to compensate for being a little box on a screen.
“For some people, the prolonged split in attention creates a perplexing sense of being drained while having accomplished nothing. The brain becomes overwhelmed by unfamiliar excess stimuli while being hyper-focused on searching for non-verbal cues that it can’t find.” (Skylar, 2020.)
As I plan for spring semester events, I’m seeing the effects of Zoom fatigue and a severe drop in student engagement. While I also miss the days of in-person gatherings, the simple fact is online events might just be our future, pandemic or not. There’s always costs and risks associated with travel, and recruiters are seeing the benefit to connecting with campuses online. While I”m not here to convince the students that every virtual activity is as beneficial as in-person ones, there’s something to be said for paying attention to the direction employers are heading.
Knowing that fatigue is real has helped my office develop more curated events, where students are maximizing their interactions with employers, all within a set period of time. We’re trying to cut down on the noise and emphasize outcomes. Our students are so adaptable, and I know employers will love to see Missouri Western embracing the new normal.
Megan Raney
Career Development Director