zoom fatigue
/zuːm fəˈtiːɡ/
CommonExhaustion caused by too many video calls in a day.
The word 'Zoom' became generic here even if the calls are on Teams, Meet, or Webex. The fatigue is real and was first widely named during remote work in 2020.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | six calls today and i am completely useless now. zoom fatigue is real. | Back-to-back video calls drained all their energy. | x, 2021 |
| 02 | can we just do a phone call? zoom fatigue got me bad this week. | Requesting a lower-friction format because video is too draining. | reddit, 2022 |
| 03 | turning off my camera. not being rude, just zoom fatigue. | Camera-off is a self-care choice, not rudeness. | reddit, 2021 |
| 04 | researchers studied zoom fatigue and it turns out staring at your own face all day is genuinely exhausting | There is scientific backing for why video calls are more tiring than in-person meetings. | x, 2021 |
Use it when
- You feel unusually drained after a full day of video calls.
- Someone cancels a call and says they need a break from screens.
- You are explaining why you turned off your camera.
- You prefer async because back-to-back calls wear you out.
Do not use it when
- You are just generally tired from work.Use “burnout” instead.
- You dislike Zoom specifically as a product.
Zoom fatigue vs burnout
zoom fatigue
Zoom fatigue is specific to video call overload. It can recover after a day away from calls.
VS
burnout
Burnout is broader and deeper, usually from sustained overwork across all areas.
Origin and context
Coined and popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic as remote work forced most professional communication onto video platforms. Stanford researchers published a formal study on the phenomenon in 2021.
- First seen
- 2020
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/zoom-fatigueUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0