As more and more interaction goes online due to work being increasingly remote, we find that we are staring at our digital selves on the laptop or smartphone screen more often than usual. Social scientists are looking at the long-term effects of being connected via screens in our homes, isolated from real people.

If we like ourselves, we would find pleasure in being on video calls, but if we are self-critical, the same negative feelings would be amplified. The screens act like digital mirrors, showing us more of what we believe in.

Being self-concerned while on a video call is natural. We can see after a while that our face is tensed up and has a quizzical look.

New studies show that friends behave differently in video interactions and the in-person ones. Virtual meetings put us in a muted state, both physically and emotionally.