There’s an interesting take over at recode on Zoom fatigue and the pandemic-forced trend towards geographically distant but still face-to-face interaction, aka telepresence. 
Even after the pandemic ends, video chat will play an increasingly important role at work, for school, in health care, and in our relationships with friends and family. The pandemic not only pushed this technology into new scenarios of our daily lives but also forced people to learn how to use it. Folks that hadn’t tried Zoom, FaceTime, or Google Meet before March became power users in record time. Some of these new users have even embraced the software’s virtual backgrounds and AI-generated face-smoothing effects. (The software is extremely easy to use now compared to 15 years ago, when I first used it.) While few of us want to keep doing Zoom happy hours after the pandemic ends, more of us are comfortable using it than ever before.
Further:
But as we’ve learned from Zoom’s periodic meltdowns, repurposing office software for our social lives is a tricky business. Part of why we have felt fatigue from video calls during the pandemic is because the technology was designed for a different purpose than having virtual happy hours or hosting graduation parties. It’s even worse if you’re using the same laptop for work calls and fun times. Little tweaks like virtual backgrounds and fun filters help liven things up, but the next generation of the social network would really benefit from some new hardware.
Taking telepresence to the eventual next level will require new thinking focused on ubiquitous, easy experiences and minimal technical acumen on the part of the users. If we expect geographically displaced individuals to connect – personally – we have to make that experience as easy as an in-person engagement. Easier, actually, since that’s where the value proposition lies. Creating experiences that are easier, smarter, and less burdensome while managing to truly connect people, their ideas, and their feelings in a truly personal way.
That’s the innovation opportunity.
