{"id":1227,"date":"2023-03-21T15:45:57","date_gmt":"2023-03-21T15:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.twentytwo.digital\/ukbodytalk\/emotional-anchoring-2\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T16:58:51","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T15:58:51","slug":"face-to-face-communication-better-for-our-brains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.twentytwo.digital\/ukbodytalk\/resources\/blogs\/face-to-face-communication-better-for-our-brains\/","title":{"rendered":"Face-to-Face Communication – Why It’s Better For Our Brains"},"content":{"rendered":"

“The human brain evolved through social interactions, which is why it is so stimulated by face-to-face contact.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>“<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Face-to-Face Communication – Why It’s Better For Our Brains<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019ve ever left a virtual call feeling confused, frustrated, or that your message just hasn\u2019t landed the way you wanted it to, it may be less about the technology and more about your own biology!<\/span><\/p>\n

A recent study has shown that using technology to communicate online is less effective than face-to-face conversations, as it doesn\u2019t engage the brain in the same way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Face-to-face communication allows more brain synchrony<\/h3>\n

The study<\/span><\/a>, published in the journal NeuroImage, measured the effect of technology-assisted communication on mothers and their teenage children. During the experiment, participants\u2019 brain activity was monitored during rest, face-to-face conversations and virtual calls.<\/span><\/p>\n

The researchers measured electrical activity in the brain during each type of communication and discovered that participants\u2019 brains \u2018synchronised\u2019 when they were face-to-face in a way that did not occur during virtual communication.<\/span><\/p>\n

To put it another way, face-to-face activity allowed the participants to \u2018tune in\u2019 to one another much more effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, during live interactions, nine \u2018cross brain links\u2019 were developed between the participants, compared to just one link on a virtual call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In-person communication allows interactions that virtual does not<\/h3>\n

So what is it about face-to-face interactions that fires up our brain so much – and what is missing when we\u2019re online?<\/span><\/p>\n

The human brain evolved through social interactions, which is why it is so stimulated by face-to-face contact. Experts think that being in a room with someone allows increased opportunities for experiences such as a shared gaze, social engagement and empathic resonance, which leads to better communication and understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the flip side, virtual interactions appear to eliminate the brain activity that is linked to our processing of non-verbal social cues and affective states of the other person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, our brains aren\u2019t as good as \u2018reading\u2019 people when conversing online. It\u2019s more difficult for us to understand people\u2019s intentions and to read their emotional state. If you find virtual calls tough, it\u2019s not you – it\u2019s your brain!<\/span><\/p>\n

Causes of Zoom fatigue<\/h3>\n

The reduction in communication ability when meeting virtually could be a key contributor to what is most often referred to as \u2018<\/span>Zoom fatigue<\/span><\/a>\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a number of elements that make it difficult to concentrate on virtual meetings, whatever the platform. These include the constant screen gazing during video chats, which we haven\u2019t evolved to do, reduced mobility, \u2018mirror anxiety\u2019 from looking at ourselves for long periods and awkward delays in response time due to muting microphones or talking over one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bad posture or camera angles also make it very difficult to read non-verbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions, which happen naturally during face-to-face conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Should my meeting be in-person or a video call?<\/h3>\n

We\u2019re faced with a lot of choices these days about how we run our meetings and presentations, so it can be difficult to weigh up the pros and cons and work out what\u2019s right for us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While technology allows us greater freedom and ability to connect instantly with teams across the world, a face-to-face meeting is the optimal way of communicating. Why? It allows you and the other participants to engage fully with one another, taking in the non-verbal cues and reading emotions and intentions more easily.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, virtual communication still holds a very important place in our day-to-day lives. The good news is that even though it was <\/span>less <\/span><\/i>effective than in-person communication, the study still found that brains were able to synchronise via screens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Improve your online communication<\/h3>\n

A key factor in improving virtual communication is to try and replicate the authenticity of a face-to-face meeting wherever you can.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This includes:<\/span><\/p>\n