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Don't Be a ZOOMbie

27/01/2021
Group745
Advertising Agency
New York, USA
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Managing partner / CEO at House of Communication New York Stefan Schuette on the real digital mass disease - Zoom Fatigue
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Of course, it's great not to lose any more productive time at airports, lounges and in security check melee. Of course it's great to be able to talk about that project with your teammates at any time one on one. Or to be able to meet with dozens of clients every day. 

It's amazing to be able to dial into any conference around the globe in real time. Who could ever thought of learning from Carlos Santana himself how to make also your own guitar sing? Isn't it awesome to be able to help Bill Gates update the global operating system - aka the climate?

So much is unimaginably better than before pandemic.

And yet, as you slowly become your own avatar, meticulously arranging image backgrounds and watching yourself speak in conferences, it comes around the corner as sure as eggs is eggs: Zoom Fatigue. As you might know this is a real digital mass disease now. If virtuality is eating you up inside and you're becoming a zoombie, maybe it's time to make a change. Despite admittedly limited options.

But, hey. When was the last time you hugged a tree? Try it - it's most importantly totally social distancing. When was the last time you played with your child without time pressure and without furtively squinting at your phone? When did you speak rather than swipe on that phone and really talk about content instead of staring at your own zoombie mirror image? When was the last time you picked up a book? When did you stand in the kitchen and put your hands in something real? When was the last time you were offline? When was the last time you made your new online friends laugh and, completely against the efficiency trend, talked about something other than the project?

What are you doing with the extra time the pandemic has given you? Have you tried to learn a new instrument? Can you beatbox now? Or have you finally painted, written poetry, or just held your breath until you got dizzy?

When was the last time you were really unreasonable?

You don't have to go as far as, let's call them, Greg and George, who dial in from their viral escapes of Hawaii or Vail, Colorado, and do everything in session breaks or in their free time to avoid becoming a soulless revenant of themselves.

It remains for us here, however, to pay very close attention now. To everyone else. But above all, to ourselves.


- Stefan Schuette, managing partner / CEO, House of Communication New York

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Work from Serviceplan Group Americas
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