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Sheikh, Sofia (2026) "Zoom dysmorphia": an exploration of women's experiences of the videoconferencing process. Doctoral thesis, London Metropolitan University.
Background and aim:
Videoconferencing has emerged as a leading mode of communication during and following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, studies have revealed that video calls may foster dissatisfaction with one’s appearance due to seeing oneself on camera for extended periods. There is little research exploring videoconferencing’s influence on the most vulnerable: individuals who are, indeed, experiencing appearance dissatisfaction (AD). This study explores how young adult women who self-identified as experiencing AD during the COVID-19 pandemic perceived and navigated the videoconferencing process.
Methodology:
Six women aged 20–25 who self-identified as experiencing AD from the use of videoconferencing participated in semi-structured interviews. These were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).
Findings:
Three group experiential themes (GETs) emerged from the analysis: preoccupation with and negative evaluation of appearance, navigating appearance pressures in a digital realm, and the new self post-videoconferencing.
Conclusions:
The participants in this non-clinical sample described experiences and behaviours aligned with Zoom dysmorphia (ZD). The women’s experience of the self-view feature was marked by heightened awareness of appearance and preoccupation with facial features. Participants reported increased anxiety, low mood, reduced self-esteem, and inadequacy. They engaged in various appearance-enhancing behaviours, such as grooming and face filters, and camouflaging behaviours, such as clothing selection or adjusting camera angle. Nearly all study participants also underwent cosmetic procedures. Participants’ reports of AD, anxiety and low self-esteem persisted after the resumption of face-to-face interactions, as did comparisons of their appearance to others outside the videoconferencing context. Implications and recommendations for counselling psychologists, other clinicians, and educators are provided. The study limitations are addressed, and suggestions for future research are given.
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