Making Eye Contact on Zoom Means Looking at the Camera

During an important meeting in the pre-COVID days you would never stare off into space instead of looking at the people with whom you were speaking. But in today’s post-COVID world, that’s exactly what some people are doing on video conferences through Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and other video meeting apps.  They’re failing to make eye contact. Worse, they’re often not even aware of it. Without meaning to, they appear distracted, distanced, and detached.  

The challenge is this: in the world of video conferences, to make eye contact, to allow your colleagues to see you looking at them, you should not look at them. Strange but true because if you do look at them, you’re actually looking at their images on your screen but you’re not making eye contact. What you need to do is look at the camera, which on most computers, tablets and smart phones is a small pinhole dot at the top of the screen. That’s where your eyes should be focused when speaking. That way, when you’re in conference, you’ll be looking out at the people with whom you’re meeting, and they will see you on their screens looking at them.

For TV reporters and teenagers who have been video chatting since they could pick up a smartphone this is natural. But for many people middle aged and above, it can be a challenge. Think of looking at that camera as if you’re looking at a friend. Smile, pay attention, engage with the camera, and be aware you’re making eye contact as you look at the tiny lens.

This is not trivial. Because we must work remotely and generally cannot meet in person making eye contact is more important than ever to building a connection with someone with whom we’re speaking. And, when we’re making important points it’s essential to emphasize them by looking straight into the camera.

None of this is to say you must stare at the lens like a deer in headlights. It’s fine to look away for a moment, or to look at others on screen when they’re talking. But most of the time, when speaking during a video conference we should look at the camera rather than at the other participants.