A rise in the use of video conferencing software has negatively impacted the nation’s self esteem, with almost half of people stating that the technology has caused them to feel unhappy about their appearance.

Our recent survey revealed that 47% of people have felt negatively about the way they look when using video conferencing software since the start of the pandemic. The research, which questioned more than 1,100 people about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their body image, found that 69% of respondents have generally felt either ‘quite aware’ or ‘extremely aware’ of their own appearance as a result of an increased use of video technology.

Young people in particular were found to have suffered a more pronounced reduction in their self esteem. Before the pandemic, 49% of people aged between 21 and 25 years old stated they were either ‘unhappy’, ‘very unhappy’ or ‘extremely unhappy’ with their body; however, this figure has risen to 72% of 21-25-year-olds today.

Find out more findings from the survey in our infographic below.