I find Zoom classes extremely exhausting. I kind of dread my grant writing class meetings not because of the instructor or the material (I enjoy learning and love listening to lectures) but because I hate having to be on video.

I especially dread the small group discussions in breakout rooms. Ugh. Feels like I'm a fish out of water. 

I'm much better at connecting with people and making friends when I start with written exchanges and move to audio-only or IRL convos later on.

This is one reason I love being self-employed. Text is my superpower and it's my favorite artistic medium to boot, so I just lean into it and run my business the minimalist way -- maximize text and minimize calls.

It's also one reason I love Farcaster. Lots of fellow word nerds here!

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My sympathies. It's really kind of shocking how much more drained I feel on Zoom class days than on non-class-days. 

If I'd been teaching during pandemic times as you did, I'm not sure I would've lasted long.

I recall reading an article about why Zoom calls are so much more exhausting than voice-only calls or IRL convos. Can't seem to locate it at the moment, but I'm interested in hearing any theories.

totally agree. it’s profoundly exhausting as a teacher as well, really found it tiresome as a prof during pandemic times.

I’m a writer and an editor. I love art, literature, music, and to drink good coffee. I practice Ashtanga yoga. I’m here to connect and learn. 

In some ways Zoom classes can be better than IRL classes (at least there's no commute, for example, which I appreciate) but they place a lot of additional strain on my attention and focus.

It is depleting. During the pandemic, it made many things possible. But nowadays, no one can stand it anymore. You get way more tired than coming in presence for lectures.

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I don't think AI filters are explicitly forbidden, but it might be a little weird to use them in this context. The class is very focused on professional life -- there are just 11 students, and everyone is either working in fundraising or trying to get into the field.

I also have breakout room phobia lol. Been working on it. 

Are AI filters allowed? That can be a good buffer for showing on video.