84 The influence of Zoom on Working Women during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Introduction

Zoom had a significant impact on working women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This influence might be interpreted in several ways. Many women were able to continue working from the comfort of their own homes because of Zoom. This was especially helpful for women who had to mix employment with caregiving or other domestic responsibilities. They were able to keep their jobs and careers while caring for their home and family. Zoom’s work-hour and location flexibility enabled women to better manage their work-life balance. Working women would be able to pick when and where they attended meetings, avoiding the need for long commutes and providing them greater flexibility with their schedules. Zoom fatigue was very popular in women during the pandemic. Zoom fatigue is “when nonverbal communication cues in video-conferencing make people feel nonverbally overloaded”, according to a ScienceDirect article. (Fauville et al., 2023). Aside from all of the positive outcomes of using zoom, the excessive use of video conferencing has led to the feeling of fatigue in many. Zoom was utilized by women in the workplace to engage in virtual meetings, conferences, and webinars. They were able to network, study, and participate in professional development activities that would have been more difficult or time consuming in a traditional in-person context.

Connection to sts

The Science, Technology, and Society (STS) approach can be used to investigate Zoom’s influence on working women during the COVID-19 pandemic. STS is an interdisciplinary field of research that investigates the intricate relationships between science, technology, and society, as well as their effects on various aspects of human life. In essence, Zoom’s impact on working women during the pandemic is related to STS by emphasizing the interconnectedness of technology, society, and gender dynamics. It emphasizes how deeply ingrained technology is in the social and cultural contexts in which it is used, and how its influence is inextricably linked to these elements. Using an STS framework to investigate this impact provides a comprehensive picture of the complex interactions between technology and society, as well as the role of working women in this dynamic relationship. STS understands technology’s gendered elements. Zoom’s use had an effect on gender relations in the workplace, influencing women’s positions and experiences. Both technology and societal standards have influenced women’s ability to balance work and family commitments, as well as their visibility in virtual workspaces. STS promotes the study of technology’s social consequences.  (Harvard). Zoom had a substantial impact on working women’s work-life balance, productivity, well-being, and career progression chances. These consequences were influenced not only by technology reasons, but also by social and cultural issues. STS emphasizes that technology is more than just a tool; it is a socially constituted phenomena. Social and cultural considerations such as society’s attitude toward the epidemic, employment standards, and gender roles influenced Zoom uptake and use. Technology was neither impartial nor unaffected by the circumstances in this case.

Information about zoom’s influence on working women

Because of Zoom, several women, particularly those in roles that formerly required physical presence, were able to continue working during the pandemic. This reduced the possibility of the gender wage gap widening owing to career interruptions. Working mothers particularly appreciate Zoom’s ability to connect with their children’s schools and teachers. They can virtually attend parent-teacher conferences, school events, and parent support groups, making it easier for them to be involved in their children’s education. While Zoom provided numerous benefits, it also introduced new obstacles, such as the blurring of professional and personal life boundaries. This may add to the psychological and mental load on women, who frequently face a disproportionate share of home and childcare tasks.  It is also proven that women are more harshly experiencing “Zoom Fatigue” according to Stanford News. Zoom fatigue is that feeling of complete exhaustion after the back to back zoom meetings.  To be more specific, according to their studies, 1 in 7 women feel this fatigue.  (Stanford University, 2021). Zoom, on the plus side, allowed employees to be seen on camera during virtual meetings, which enhanced workplace visibility. This could help women who struggle with workplace visibility and recognition receive more credit for their achievements. Zoom provided remote access to critical professional development opportunities such as training, workshops, and mentoring. It did, however, emphasize the digital divide, as not all women had access to the requisite technology or internet connectivity to capitalize on these opportunities.

Conclusion

Finally, Zoom influenced working women in a variety of ways during the COVID-19 outbreak, enabling them with new options and flexibility while also raising worries about work-life balance and the digital gap. It has emphasized the need of having flexible work options while also addressing issues like as remote working, caregiving, and workplace gender equality.

ChaPter questions

     1. True/False

Zoom created blurring of professional and personal life boundaries

2. Zoom allowed working women to: 

a. Join meetings from home

b. Meet with clients from home

c. Have a better work-life balance

d. All of the above

3. True/False

1 in 7 women feel fatigued after zoom meetings.

4. True/False

Zoom led to STS understanding technology’s gendered elements.

AI USe disclosure

I used ChatGPT to assist me in finding valuable information on the influence of zoom on working women during the covid-19 pandemic. This assisted me in fitting the goals of this textbook chapter. The use of ChatGPT gave me a large variety of sources to use along with ones I found on my own.

“Chatgpt.” ChatGPT, openai.com/chatgpt.

References

What is Sts?. Harvard STS Program What is STS Comments. (n.d.). https://sts.hks.harvard.edu/about/whatissts.html