Before I deliver this hot take, I need to state my qualifications. I grew up at the end of the millennial generation and the beginning of Gen Z. In other words, I’m a cusper.
My childhood took place during the nascence of the chronically online, social media age, though I spent a good chunk of my formative years with a Razr flip phone. Accessing the internet cost my parents their life savings for half the time I was on their phone plan, and my only early computer access was the giant brick in my parents closet that was shared by the whole family.
I got to experience a period of social norms that have existed for centuries (face-to-face interactions) as well as new social norms in the digital age. In other words, I’m not a boomer trying to lecture anybody on how good the glory days were before technology existed. But as a 30-year-old, I think I'm qualified to argue that if you are never, ever turning your camera on in meetings, people might not be taking you seriously.
A Brick Wall
Let’s explore this in terms we can all understand—because we do still have face-to-face interactions in our life to some degree. When you are talking to someone face-to-face, there are certain visual cues that you look for to interpret if they are really listening and how interested they are. If I was talking to someone and they started looking around or (even worse) looking at their phone, I would assume they probably aren’t really paying attention.
You may be truly paying attention, but turning your camera off sends a different signal.
Personally, that's not someone I want to continue a conversation with—and probably not someone I want to have future conversations with, either. It doesn’t feel great to feel like you are talking to a brick wall. The reason we talk to each other is to connect, get feedback, and relate to one another. I am not just talking to hear myself speak (most of the time, anyway).
Having your camera off in a meeting is the digital age equivalent to signaling to somebody that you aren’t really paying attention. It’s a social cue that says, “I’ve got one foot in, one foot out.” When your camera is off during a meeting, that tells me you are barely paying attention.
Now, maybe you are paying attention, but we're talking social cues here. Some people are able to look around while someone is talking but still hear what they are saying. However, that doesn’t mean the speaker doesn’t interpret that behavior as lack of interest or attention. Likewise, you may be truly paying attention, but turning your camera off sends a different signal.
Here is my one big important caveat: I'm not making a case that you should always have your camera on. I have joined plenty of meetings from the car or while I was on a walk. I’ve even turned my camera off to eat lunch when my previous meetings went over time. Having the ability to join a meeting remotely and be audio only has truly made such a difference for work-life balance and flexibility.
But here’s the thing—in those situations, I provide some level of context to the other people I am talking to, and they understand that I’ll do my best to give them the attention I can. Ultimately, I have another task that may cause some distraction. And that OK is OK. After all, they’ve been in the same situation. We can’t all be 100% present 100% of the time, especially in the chronically online digital age.
Chronically Camera-Off
Here is the difference between what I just described and someone who is chronically camera-off with no explanation. What I just described provides clarity and a reason, and allows for the expectation that someone might not be fully present but is doing their best.
To bring this back to the face-to-face example: it’s like someone saying, “Hey, I'm waiting to get some important news via email, so I may be checking my phone a bit while we are talking.” That context makes all the difference. Suddenly, it’s not that they don’t care about what you're saying, they just have something else going on that’s taking up some of their headspace.
When you are chronically camera-off with no explanation, it leaves your visual absence open to interpretation. Do they care? Are they actually paying attention? Am I just talking to myself?
Do this enough and our social human nature prompts people to start believing that maybe this is just a person who doesn’t really care about the work. It’s the bitter truth about us as social beings—we draw conclusions based on the signals around us, whether or not they are true.
So, what should you take away from this? In my opinion, it is OK to turn your camera off sometimes and join a meeting with audio only. Give a little context as to why, if you can; if not, maybe just don’t make a habit of it.
If you are someone who is chronically camera-off, I’d challenge you to ask yourself why. I’ve heard some people say that it’s the principle—I shouldn't have to turn it on if I don’t want to. I just don’t buy that as a good reason. I don’t have to be a kind person, but I choose to be because it allows me to form better connections with people, which is literally in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
Maybe you have a valid reason for your health or personal situation, and I'm not trying to shame that. But if you have the luxury of doing so, turn that camera on in your next meeting and start building better connections with your clients and coworkers.
