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If you still find yourself unable to stop staring during video calls, you’re not alone. Nor do you have to worry that this suggests a disturbing level of narcissism. Author Nancy Mitford once observed that people who stare at themselves in every reflection often do so not out of vanity but out of a sense that things are not quite as expected. . The way video calls subtly distort our faces is proof of that.
It’s amazing how quickly we’ve integrated video conferencing into our lives. In 2019, California-based video conferencing company Zoom had an average of 10 million daily users. Now, that number has grown to about 300 million. Rapid popularity has brought new etiquette—for example, a smile and a silent wave signaling the end of a phone call. Yet the level of self-monitoring required still feels unusual. That’s why companies like Microsoft, Google, and Zoom have been quietly changing the way you look.
Last year, Microsoft launched a splashy feature that allows video call users to choose from 12 digital makeup looks. Created in partnership with cosmetics brand Maybelline, these effects can leave cheeks rosier and eyes brighter. However, a slow internet connection can cause lag—if you move too quickly, your lip line might not be able to keep up with your movements—but it’s also a great antidote to a morning session that feels lackluster.
Users have had mixed reactions to the addition of digital makeup capabilities to what is primarily a work tool. Some people question why Microsoft is making a fuss about the appearance when other functions have not yet been perfected? They wrote: “I still can’t set up a separate ‘Teams’ channel meeting in the ‘Teams’ calendar app…but I can put on lipstick? How has this become a priority?”
In fact, how to shape people’s image online is a top priority for technology companies such as Microsoft. If this is a major source of insecurity for someone, addressing it will help ensure they continue to use the video conferencing platform.
Maybe you don’t think you’re part of this trend? If so, you’re wrong. Not all the changes are as dramatic as Microsoft’s digital makeup. Most changes are subtle and happen without you even realizing it.
With mirror view, this means that the screen you see in most video meetings shows the face you see in the mirror—the version you are most familiar with. Looking at another version, the version that other people see when they look at you, is often uncomfortable. Any asymmetry seems to be in reverse and therefore stands out. This is something smartphone makers and selfie-focused social network company Snap discovered early on.
Other tweaks include lighting effects and skin smoothing. Zoom claims it is the first to offer “Beautiful My Look” filters. In 2022, Microsoft launched a soft focus filter. A year later, Google added a feature called “portrait retouching.”
The computer, not your face, is to blame for these problems. PCs and laptops often have smaller camera lenses that photograph the user from a relatively close distance, which results in a distorted appearance. Protruding parts of the face will be more noticeable and the eyes may appear smaller.
Seeing a slightly unusual and unflattering image of oneself on a screen may be behind a phenomenon known as “Zoom amnesia,” in which people become overly focused on what they see on the screen so-called defects. I asked a Bay Area aesthetic nurse whether video conferencing is actually leading to an increase in clients seeking fillers, Botox and other invasive procedures. Not only have numbers increased, she said, but some patients are coming to her with screenshots of themselves in online sessions. This is supported by a 2021 survey of U.S. dermatologists, which showed that most patients cited video calls as one of the reasons they sought cosmetic treatments.
Of course, the simplest solution is to stop looking at yourself—or close your self-view and focus on other people. But despite some complaints about how uncomfortable it is to face your own face for hours on end, this option is relatively unpopular. A reporter for the online magazine Wired suggested that hiding one’s image could create a feeling of “disappearing into the void.” I think it’s probably more about a kind of low-spirited suspicion that you need to monitor yourself in case your face makes weird expressions in meetings.
There is a final, rather radical solution. Google’s AI model Gemini is planning to launch a new feature called “Attend on Me,” which will attend video meetings on your behalf, convey your message, and then send you a summary of feedback from other attendees. This sounds extremely rude, and this feature may cause people to never attend video conferences in person again. This would be the ideal scenario for those who don’t like seeing themselves online.
