Microprocessing

Zoom Burnout Is Real

And here’s what to do about it

Angela Lashbrook
OneZero
Published in
8 min readApr 14, 2020

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Photo: Anthony Wallace/Getty Images

In Microprocessing, columnist Angela Lashbrook aims to improve your relationship with technology every week. Microprocessing goes deep on the little things that define your online life today to give you a better tomorrow.

It is a time of great uncertainty.

Many of us are asking life-or-death questions, like: “Will I die if I open a window?” (Answer: No. Please open your windows.) But there are also little ones, like: “How do I tell my friend to stop inviting me to five video-call happy hours every week?”

“Zoom gives me crazy anxiety and the same social pressure I would feel being invited to a party,” says Dani, a marketing manager based in Cleveland, who requested that only her first name be used to protect her workplace privacy. “I have to do Zoom calls all day for work. I cannot socialize that way right now.”

Dani’s anxiety mirrors that of countless others currently battling an onslaught of Zoom calls, digital events, and online happy hours. “I’m in 3 different Slacks, 4 different Discords, in countless Zoom Happy Hours, and even more virtual events. I can’t wait until this pandemic is over so I can disconnect,” a community manager based in Ohio tweeted. “1) people assume u can do more meetings than u…

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OneZero
OneZero

Published in OneZero

OneZero is a former publication from Medium about the impact of technology on people and the future. Currently inactive and not taking submissions.

Angela Lashbrook
Angela Lashbrook

Written by Angela Lashbrook

I’m a columnist for OneZero, where I write about the intersection of health & tech. Also seen at Elemental, The Atlantic, VICE, and Vox. Brooklyn, NY.