Video Chat Can Ease the Psychological Stress of Social Distancing
Public health officials say it may be several weeks before we can socialize with friends and family members as we shelter in place and practice social distancing in order to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus. That means for the foreseeable future, we’re going to be feeling lonely, disconnected, and even depressed.
It’s good that we can keep in touch by text messaging and social media, but it’s just not enough. We need to see the faces and hear the voices of our loved ones, and we need to interact live. Video calls can help us do that, and research shows they are the next best thing to being there.
Using video calls, such as those available on Skype, WhatsApp, and FaceTime, provide more emotional benefits than using email, text messaging and even phone calls, according to 2013 study.[1] Although in-person communication created the most good feelings among the pairs of friends that participated in the study, video was almost as effective.
The reason? Video uses both audio and video cues in communicating, which gives it more media richness than either texting or phone calls. On a video call, we receive a great deal of information by interpreting the other person’s facial expressions, gestures, and body language. And in a time when we’re worried about our loved ones, it can bring comfort to see them looking healthy and well.
People trying to maintain relationships over long distances already know the benefits of video chat. Over the past several years, it’s been used by deployed service members to connect with spouses and loved ones. Immigrants routinely use video calling to connect with friends in their former countries. Even grandparents use video calls to stay in touch with the grandkids in other states.
While video calling has become commonplace, it does take more effort compared to a text message or social media post. We can just type and go. We have to deal with varying work schedules and different time zones. Still, it’s worth the effort, especially during difficult times, and without social support, we all run a serious risk of depression and other psychological effects of being isolated.
When the SARS pandemic hit in 2003, it infected 8,098 people worldwide and 774 people died. Many people around the world, including North America, were asked to stay home or were put under mandatory quarantine to stop the spread. Even among those quarantined for only a short time, a “high prevalence of psychological distress” was reported, including symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to one study conducted in Toronto.[2]
A study just published in the March issue of The Lancet agrees with those findings. “The psychological impact of quarantine is wide-ranging, substantial, and can be long-lasting,” wrote the authors,[3] who reviewed more than 3,000 papers on the subject on quarantine. They recommended that people in quarantine during an epidemic should make use of social media and mobile phones to reduce boredom and stay connected.
The coronavirus pandemic is much worse than SARS. Already more people have been infected and have died of Covid-19, and the infection rate hasn’t peaked yet. Some experts are saying that social distancing practices may need to be in place for several months to slow the spread of the disease.
During that time, we all need to maintain our social contacts for our psychological well-being. There’s no reason video chats have to be one-on-one, either. Several platforms, including Facebook Messenger and Skype, allow group video chats. If you usually have lunch with your work friends, set a day to prop up your phones or iPads, and have lunch virtually. Organize a virtual cocktail party. Cook or bake together. Play games. All that’s needed is a little creativity.
The main point is, do it — for your own mental health and that of your loved ones.
[1] Lauren E. Sherman, Minas Michikyan, and Patricia M. Greenfield, “The Effects of Text, Audio, Video, and In-Person Communication on Bonding Between Friends,” Cyberspsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, vol. 7, 2013.
[2] Laura Hawryluck, Wayne L. Gold, Susan Robinson, Stephen Pogorski, Sandro Galea, and Rima Styra, “SARS Control and Psychological Effects of Quarantine, Toronto, Canada,” Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 10, №7, July 2004.
[3] Samantha K. Brooks, et al., “The Psychological Impact of Quarantine and How to Reduce It: Rapid Review of the Evidence,” The Lancet, vol. 395, March 2020, 912–920.
