Zoom dysmorphia is the same body dysmorphic disorder.

At the start of the pandemic and related quarantine restrictions, Zoom and other video messengers seemed like a salvation. However, the more time people spend in them, the more pronounced the problems associated with it - from ordinary stress to mental disorders.

What is zoom dysmorphia

The first to face the side effects of video calls were those who suffer in one way or another. body dysmorphic disorder. This is the name of a mental disorder in which a person worries too much about appearance, endlessly looking for non-existent defects in himself and is confident that it is they who spoil his life.

As a result, instead of listening to colleagues, the girl scolds herself. She is frightened, outraged, upset by the circles under the eyes, the shape and color of the face, the way the hair lies.

She realizes that you can turn off the camera. But this seems rude to her, because the other participants in the video conference do not hide their faces.

What Emma is experiencing, experts call zoom dysmorphiaAnnouncing Renfrew's 2021 NEDA Week Campaign: Beyond the Screen - a type of body dysmorphophobia that develops or intensifies due to the need to regularly use video communication.

Zoom dysmorphia can occur not only in those who were initially dissatisfied with their appearance. The forced need to observe oneself on the screen of gadgets undermines self-esteem in healthy people. This results in increased anxiety, dissatisfaction own face and body, thoughts that it would be necessary to correct the appearance.

In severe cases, regular use of video calls leads to eating disorders, eating disorders behavior, inadequate physical activity - for example, grueling workouts aimed at losing weight. Also, video conferencing has already provokedZooming into cosmetic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic: The provider’s perspective a wave of plastic surgeries: their number increased significantly during the pandemic. At least in the United States.

Why video calls undermine our self-confidence

There are several objective reasons for this.

We compare ourselves to the "photoshopped" ideal

A huge number of filters are available in the cameras of modern smartphones. With their help, anyone can easily change a face, making it almost perfect. And then these very images are posted as selfies.

As a result, people get used to seeing themselves on screens in this particular edition. But with video calls, you will not be able to radically "photoshop" your own image. The difference between the ideal and the real picture is so great that it drives many people into depression.

We've been staring at ourselves for too long

Videoconferences can be lengthy, and a person is sometimes forced to spend hours in front of the digital mirror. This means that he gets the opportunity to study in detail his own external flaws.

“I discovered a lot of flaws in my appearance when I looked at myself through Zoom all day,” agrees Olivia Natasha, a fitness trainer from California. "This ultimately led to the decision to inject some Botox."

In reality, we do not look what we think

During video chats, we observe our face in motion, and what we see often does not coincide with our ideas about ourselves. Someone "too" wrinkles his forehead when talking. Someone smiles "crookedly". Someone's face reflects literally every emotion. Even psychotherapists suffer from experiences in this regard.

Video conferencing violates our privacy

When communicating face to face, people usually keep some social distance and see each other from a distance of 1-1.5 meters. When making video calls, the speaker's face is often displayed in close-up on the screen - as if you were watching him at a distance of no more than 20-30 cm.

Such a regular invasion of personal space causes stress and uncertainty. The person begins to feel like a victim.

What to do if video calls are undermining your self-esteem

Here are some tips to help you deal with the situation.

1. Let yourself be invisible

If you are really worried about how you look in a video conference, the easiest option is not to turn on the camera. True, this is not always possible: for example, sometimes employers require a “personal” presence at a Zoom meeting.

In this case, you can minimize the damage by reducing the size of the screen. Then your own image will become almost indistinguishable, and other people's faces will not invade your personal space.

2. Talk to a psychotherapist

Zoom dysmorphia is a kind of magnifying glass. She only shows that dissatisfaction with herself and her own appearance, which has been accumulating in you for many years. Where did it come from? Why is a pimple on your face or the shape of your nose more important to you than relationships with people and work? Why do you consider yourself more uglythan the interlocutors? It would be worth finding an answer to these questions. It is best to do this with a therapist.

3. Learn to set boundaries

“I'm not comfortable” is a good enough reason to turn off the camera. Whatever your interlocutors on the other side of the screen think about this.