Something for the weekend: Ever since the Covid-19 pandemic, video calls have become much more commonplace, with many of us participating in them every working day.
In acknowledgement of this, Uswitch Business Broadband has conducted a survey of 1,000 Brits who currently participate in video calls for work, study, or personal reasons at least once a week.
It aimed to discover how many hours per week people spend on video calls on average, finding that 76% spend at least one to three hours a week on video calls. It also sought to establish the behaviours and habits of other people on video calls that frustrate them the most.
Uswitch found that talking over others is the UK’s top video call pet peeve, frustrating 40% of respondents. Nearly a third (29%) are annoyed at others multitasking or not paying attention, and, as we all expected, hearing ‘you’re on mute’ irritates 23%.
Almost a quarter (23%) were bothered by rambling or talking too much, while 22% were frustrated by poor muting etiquette, including background noise, eating, or loud typing.
Videos freezing or lagging ranked as the biggest technical frustration on video calls, cited by 53%, while 17% have difficulty sharing their screens, suggesting that the dreaded screen-share panic is very much alive!
Max Beckett, expert at Uswitch Business Broadband, said: “From glitchy video to calls that drop mid-conversation, our research highlights that technical issues on video calls are a common frustration. And they don’t just disrupt meetings; they can make keeping in touch with colleagues, classmates, or loved ones more stressful than it needs to be.
“With more than a third of people citing dropped connections as one of their biggest video call frustrations, it’s clear that reliable connectivity really matters. With video calls a regular part of working life and staying in touch, the findings highlight how small etiquette slip-ups can quickly become shared daily frustrations.”
Sounds like some people might want to improve their video call etiquette so as not annoy their colleagues!
