Why I leave my webcam off

Whenever possible, I leave my webcam off during internet meetings. It is almost always possible. There are a few reasons. In decreasing importance: Attention Screens are attention-destroyers. There are so many things to look at and to do. I was probably deep into a task when the meeting started. So tempting to just nudge it along. Or I might stare at myself on camera. If I turn the webcam off, I can stand up and move around. The impact of this on my attention is dramatic. People sometimes think that I’ve turned off my camera so that I can tune out. This has it exactly backwards. If my camera is on, I’m probably not paying much attention. As a bonus, I get fresh air, exercise, a tidier house, or fewer weeds in my garden. Fatigue Being on-camera is tiring; it’s well-documented. I have yet to see benefits from video that outweigh that cost. Connection quality Except for the very best of internet connections, audio-only just works better. Fluid conversation consists of continuous…