A good thing (inappropriate as it sounds) that came out of the pandemic is the red slash on the video icon on video meeting apps. The answer to this question essentially depends on your boss — most are cool with it, while some prefer to ‘see’ the headcount. But for people living with families, video off is a God-send. Perfect for these times of existential angst, Shakespearean even: ‘You are there but not there’. Welcome to shy/anti-social person paradise.
A fly-on-the-wall meets ‘Invisible Man’ here — the feeling of being omnipresent is empowering. It is like watching your own, personal series — after all, this is a recurring occurrence. Since ‘speak only when spoken to’ is part of the etiquette, please pay attention as you snack out of a bag of chips, popcorn or even cornflake (depending on how well-stocked you are) or that question might choke you, literally.
A bad hair day or a bad mood day, feel like a bath or not day — who cares! It is a way to live all those pandemic-related WFH tropes with no make-up, messy hair, and pyjamas. That thing about feeling good seeing other people’s faces during this isolation? You are doing that, only better, without showing yours. Plus if you have the kind of face that expresses every thought — especially disagreeable ones — this is for you.
The best part is you don’t have to find an Instagram-worthy backdrop — a neatly arranged bookshelf or the wall with the statement piece of art or strategically placed succulents or all of these. A perfect world exists.
-Shilpa Nair Anand is contemplating a change of colour for the ‘video off’ screen, perhaps a sober, fluorescent shade of pink.
Okay, you have just bought that obscenely expensive lip colour you have been lusting after for months. Then lockdown is declared.
Which means, you are not only unable to show it off to your colleagues or friends, it dawns on you that you cannot even flaunt it on grocery runs, unless your mask is transparent. So, the lipstick stays on the makeup counter, untouched, with its wrapper still on.
But then, there are the video calls where you can show off your prized possession to the world. With the camera on, even if no one else notices, at least you can look at yourself and feel good about your buy. You can also check if your hair looks okay, and what angle of your face will yield the most flattering selfie.
Agreed, you may not always be in the best of moods, and there may be days when you want to shut off the world, but largely, you don’t have the luxury to do that.
Research suggests that face-to-face interactions with other human beings are essential for mental well-being. Also, seeing people’s facial expressions is so much better than imagining what their faces may be looking like. Studies also suggest there is a higher chance of paying attention when you are looking at people’s faces as they speak.
By now, a lot of us doing video calls must know what our colleagues’ “meeting” rooms look like. Their bookshelves, the colour of their walls, the furniture, and even their ceiling fans. Feels good to be so familiar, doesn’t it?
-Anasuya Menon is on a quest to find a nice patch of wall, which does not have crayon inscriptions, before her next video call.
