Looming Zoom

At the height of COVID-19, everyone was forced to go home and stay home. The only way people were able to communicate face-to-face was to connect through Zoom and other virtual video platforms. More than a year later, we are slowly starting to return to in-person interactions, but the effects of video conferencing on mental health have only just begun.

While the platforms allowed individuals to stay connected throughout the pandemic, the increased use of video calls created distress and anxiety for some people, known as “Zoom dysmorphia.”

What is Zoom dysmorphia?

"Zoom dysmorphia refers to being overly focused on one’s flaws and having a distorted self-image, which causes distress before, during and after a virtual video call,” said Stefanie Schwartz, PhD, a psychologist with Baptist Behavioral Health. “Individuals who are experiencing this fixate on their facial features, judging what they think they need to change."

According to Dr. Schwartz, while the term “Zoom dysmorphia” is not a formal psychiatric diagnosis, in a small percentage of people, it has the potential to lead to an actual diagnosis called body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). This mental health condition is similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but specific to one’s appearance.

Both BDD and OCD are clinical diagnoses categorized by intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors, both of which occupy a significant amount of the patient’s time and interfere in his or her life. These behaviors include spending a lot of time looking in the mirror or seeking reassurance from peers to reduce anxiety.

“People with these conditions focus on and exaggerate certain things, and tend to dismiss the other aspects of their appearance,” Dr. Schwartz said. “They zone in on what they perceive as flaws.”

Body dysmorphia typically starts in adolescence or young adulthood. Negative body image can lead to distortions of a specific part of the body, with a person fixating on perceived or exaggerated flaws that are either slight or non-existent.

“It’s like looking in a funhouse mirror,” Dr. Schwartz explained. “It may result in taking drastic measures such as repeated cosmetic surgeries."

Zoom dysmorphia not only interferes with an individual’s focus during the call, but often leads to the development of unrealistic expectations about how one should look. The web cameras used for video calls are often pixelated, distorted and not an accurate representation of what people really look like.

“It leads to instances where people are so distressed, they won’t turn or their cameras for the video call or will phone into meetings instead,” said Dr. Schwartz. “Other people may spend a lot of time putting on makeup before calls, checking the room lighting, fixing their hair and adjusting the camera angle in order to get the best image possible.”

Dr. Schwartz explained the phenomenon of Zoom dysmorphia is due to the increased number of people spending their days on web conference calls for school or work, seeing their faces for hours on end. Rather than focusing on the other individuals and content in the meeting, they look directly at themselves and scrutinize everything about how they look. They may also believe others are critiquing their appearance or be comparing themselves to others on the screen.

“People are not used to seeing their facial features when they express emotion, but since they are on camera, those facial features are being projected back onto their screen for them to see,” she said.

Cosmetic procedures on the rise?

As video calls continue to be a primary form of communication, combined with social media pressures and photo editing apps, dermatology and plastic surgery consultations have skyrocketed.

“Plastic surgeons are seeing an increase in requests for facial procedures including nose jobs, facelifts, eye lifts and neck lifts, while dermatologists are getting more requests for treatments to eliminate lines, wrinkles and dark spots,” said Dr. Schwartz.

Fight off the negative thoughts

To decrease self-criticism, it is important to become aware of the negative thoughts about your appearance, question how true they are, and how likely it is that other people are focusing them.

“Not all people using Zoom experience dysmorphia,” said Dr. Schwartz. “What we say to ourselves is what affects the level of self-judgment and whether we feel anxious before a call, down afterward, or engage in behaviors to decrease this distress.”

The next steps are to change and refrain from ritualistic behaviors. For example, you could try directing your focus to the images of others instead of yourself, or choosing to show yourself on the screen instead of turning off your camera. By using these cognitive-behavioral strategies, anxiety should eventually go away on its own. However, if your feelings start to interfere with your everyday life and normal activities, you should seek the help of a professional.

“It’s important to practice positive affirmations about aspects of your appearance you do like to help alleviate the distress associated with Zoom dysmorphia,” Dr. Schwartz said. “In a time when physical appearance seems to be the only way to feel good about oneself, it is important to take the heavy weight of body shame and turn it into acceptance.”

The pressure to look good on Zoom can loom over you and cause a variety of mental health issues, especially among teens and young adults. If your child or someone you know is struggling, contact the experts at Baptist Behavioral Health at 904.376.3800.