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What Is Shrinkflation and What Does It Mean for Your Favorite Supermarket Items?

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What Is Shrinkflation and What Does It Mean for Your Favorite Supermarket Items?

Higher grocery bills continue to plague American consumers, as the Consumer Price Index for May shows that the "food at home index" was up another 1% in May. Food prices in April were already up 10.8% from where they were a year ago, the largest 12-month increase since November 1980, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

It's not just consumers, though: Manufacturers are feeling the pinch of inflation as well, with ingredients costing more and supply chain issues making it harder to get goods to store shelves. 

Rather than just raise prices, some manufacturers shrink their packaging, a practice known as "shrinkflation." 

Shoppers across the US have reported smaller toilet paper rolls, fewer potato chips and other reductions in supermarket staples.

"It comes in waves," consumer advocate Edgar Dworsky told NPR. "We happen to be in a tidal wave at the moment because of inflation."

Read on to learn more about shrinkflation, including whether it's legal, how to guard against it and which manufacturers are downsizing their products.

What does "shrinkflation" mean?

Shrinkflation is the practice of reducing the size or quantity of a product while keeping the same price. It can mean fewer chips in the bag, fewer scoops of ice cream in the container. Basically, the purchase price remains the same but the cost per unit rises.

Customers may not notice what are effectively price increases, John Gourville, a professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. "We found that consumers reacted greatly to periodic changes in price, but not at all to periodic (yet systematic) reductions in quantity," Gourville said in an interview back in 2004. 

Some companies disguise shrinkflation with a package redesign, according to Gourville, like adding dents to the bottom of bottles or touting claims of "lower calories." 

A Gatorade representative told Quartz in March that the company redesigned its bottles to be "more aerodynamic" and "easier to grab." It also happened to reduce the amount of Gatorade in the container from 32 to 28 ounces.

Is shrinkflation legal?

Shrinking package size is not illegal so long as the product amounts are clearly labeled and "and the business is not engaging in unfair or deceptive practices," according to the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs.

"This is legal -- companies can change prices of their products however they want. This way they do it and it reduces the amount of complaints that the companies receive as a consequence of this stuff," Tom Fullerton, an economics professor at the University of Texas at El Paso, told KFOX.

How can I protect myself against shrinkflation?

Consumers tend to pay more attention to product prices than package sizes. Breaking that habit is the top tip for steeling yourself against shrinkflation: learn the package sizes and per-unit pricing for your favorite products.

If you notice that a product has shrunk or reduced the number of included items, consider competitors who offer a similar product at a lower cost per ounce or item. Compare per-unit prices to see which product provides a better deal.

Charmin has reportedly reduced the amount of toilet paper in its Mega package from 266 sheets per roll to 244.

Olivier Douliery/Getty Images

Shrinkflation also offers an opportunity to wean yourself off packaged foods. Retailers might be able to make cereal boxes and granola bars smaller, but they can't shrink a pound of apples.  

Dworsky, the consumer advocate, has made shrinkflation (or "downsizing," as he calls it) a major focus of his website MousePrint, which is dedicated to examining the fine print of advertising claims.

Every few months, Dworsky publishescompilations of all the products he's found that have recently decreased in size. He usually posts on Mondays and crowdsources items from his readers to get a fuller picture of which products have changed.

The Reddit message board /r/shrinkflation also serves as a good source for tracking package size changes for your favorite products. Users post instances of shrinkflation that they've found in their local stores or online, usually with screenshots or photos as evidence.

Which products have shrunk?

Consumers have reported shrinkage in all kinds of household products. A keen eye on Reddit found that Huggies Little Snugglers packs dropped from 96 diapers per box to 84.

Procter & Gamble's Cascade reduced the number of dishwashing pods in a box from 78 to 63, while Unilever's Seventh Generation liquid dish soap dropped from 25 to 19 ounces with a bottle redesign.

Charmin has shrunk its Super Mega package from 396 double-ply sheets per roll to 366, MousePrint reported. The toiler paper company also reduced its Mega package from 266 sheets per roll to 244.

Cottonelle reduced the number of toilet paper sheets in its Ultra Clean line from 340 sheets to 312 and in its Ultra Comfort brand from 284 sheets to 268.

Memories Are Captured/Getty Images

Other bath products have also gotten smaller: Pantene has rebranded its Curl Protection Conditioner and in the process reduced the size from 12 to 10.4 ounces, per Reddit. And MousePrint reports that Dove Body Wash recently shrunk from 24 to 22 ounces.

Snacks are another popular target for shrinkflation, as they often come in bags that make it difficult to spot changes. Last year, Doritos decreased the weight of its regular-size bags from 9.75 to 9.25 ounces, a loss of about five chips per bag. Redditors also noticed that Doritos' party-size bag has shrunk from 15.5 to 14.5 ounces.

A party-size bag of Fritos Scoops, which used to be 18 ounces, is now reportedly just under 16 ounces, the Associated Press reported. A tube of Pringles now carries 165 grams of potato chips, down from 200 grams.

Nabisco's Wheat Thins made its "Family Size" product smaller, too, lowering the package weight from 16 to 14 ounces, per Reddit.

A bag of Keebler's Vienna Fingers bag has shrunk from 14.2 to 12 ounces, per Reddit. And MousePrint reports that the size of the company's regular Chips Deluxe package dwindled from 11.3 to 9.7 ounces. (The "family size" package decreased from 17.2 to 14.6 ounces.) 

Package downsizing has also hit fast-food chains: Domino's has cut down the number of boneless wings in an order from ten to eight, citing "unprecedented ingredient costs." Burger King is doing the same with its chicken nuggets.

And Subway rotisserie chicken wraps and sandwiches now contain less meat, Bloomberg reported.

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What Is Collagen? Benefits, Food Sources and Everything You Should Know

What Is Collagen? Benefits, Food Sources and Everything You Should Know

The benefits of collagen have been well-marketed in recent years, from stronger bones to more glowing skin. But regardless of all the hype, can boosting your collagen really accomplish these things?

As it turns out, the answer is yes. Several studies have found that adding collagen-rich foods or supplements to your diet offers a number of benefits and truly does help improve the health of your skin, joints, hair and bones.

However, there are a few things you should know about collagen before incorporating it into your daily wellness routine. 

Below, you'll find an in-depth explanation about collagen, including what it is, where to find it and how you might benefit from it -- plus the drawbacks you should be aware of. In addition, be sure to check out the best food sources for every vitamin and mineral you need and 10 tips for budget-friendly meal prepping that's still healthy.

What is collagen?

Before discussing its benefits, what is collagen? In short, collagen is the most plentiful protein in the human body and accounts for one-third of all protein. It serves as a connective building block that holds together your muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and skin.

There are nearly 30 known types of collagen, but type I is the most prevalent (it exists in all connective tissue and makes up 90% of all collagen in the body). Types II, III and IV are also common and found in various parts of the body including your joints, kidneys, ears and blood vessels.

All of this leads us to another pertinent question: What is collagen good for? Your body naturally makes collagen by combining multiple amino acids (like proline and glycine) with zinc, vitamin C and copper. However, as you get older, production slows and the existing collagen in your body starts to break down at a faster rate.

When that happens, you may notice your skin getting wrinklier, your tendons and ligaments becoming less flexible and shrinking muscles. To prevent or delay these effects, some people consume collagen (either via food or supplements) to make up for what their body has lost.

Adding collagen to your diet

fotograzia/Getty Images

If you're looking to amp up your collagen production, you should ensure that your diet includes foods with these essential ingredients: 

• Bone broth
  
• Fish and shellfish
  
• Chicken
  
• Pork skin
  
• Eggs
  
• Beans
  
• Citrus
  
• Bell peppers
  
• Nuts
  

Eating a well-balanced combination of these foods is the best way to boost your collagen levels. However, you can also consider taking supplements (typically in powder or capsule form) if you aren't getting enough collagen from diet alone. 

For best results, experts advise taking a collagen supplement one hour before working out, but always check the label and speak with your doctor before starting any new wellness routine.

Benefits of collagen

Now that we've covered the fundamentals, let's explore some of the benefits of collagen.

Builds stronger bones

Bones are full of collagen, but as you get older, the protein starts to deteriorate. In turn, this can lead to a decrease in bone strength and density. However, by incorporating collagen supplements into your diet, you may be able to prevent some bone loss and reduce your risk of bone-related problems, including osteoporosis and fractures.

Decreases joint pain

Collagen also works together with cartilage to keep your joints properly functioning. Over the years, as it wears down, it can lead to stiff and achy joints and put you at a higher risk for osteoarthritis. The good news is that taking collagen has been found to reduce joint pain in physically active people. It may also serve as a pain reliever for people with existing joint problems.

Improves skin

Your skin also contains collagen, which gives it elasticity and hydration when you're young. But as you mature, your skin becomes saggier and more wrinkly due to depleting collagen levels. Interestingly, studies have shown that adding more collagen to your diet can boost skin firmness and hydration, visibly reducing the effects of aging.

Promotes healthy hair

Collagen is created with some of the same amino acids that are used to build keratin, the protein that makes up your hair. Because of this connection, there is some evidence that consuming more collagen may help with your hair health by promoting growth, reducing thinning and slowing graying.

Adds muscle mass

Muscle tissue consists of as much as 10% collagen. When the collagen in your body begins to break down, you could lose muscle mass and potentially develop a condition called sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss). Fortunately, studies have shown that collagen supplements, along with increased protein intake and routine resistance exercise, may help people with sarcopenia build back muscle strength.

Drawbacks to collagen supplements

Despite these benefits, there are also a handful of drawbacks to collagen supplements that you should bear in mind before incorporating them into your routine.

They contain animal products (and sometimes, allergens)

Traditional collagen supplements, and all dietary supplements in general, are made from animal products, so they aren't suitable if you follow a plant-based diet. While there are some vegan collagen options on the market, it's unclear how they compare to the ones made from animal products. Similarly, if you have any food allergies, make sure to read the label on your collagen supplements thoroughly. In some cases, they may contain common allergens like fish or eggs.

Regulation is a gray area

Collagen supplements are regulated as food (not drugs) by the US Food and Drug Administration, meaning their ingredients and production aren't monitored by an official governing body. These products aren't subject to the same regulations and stringent approval process as pharmaceuticals, so it can be tricky to find out about the quality, purity and safety of the ingredients.

Effectiveness studies are limited

Although there have been studies about the effectiveness of collagen (many of which we've cited above), more research needs to be done. Also, some of the existing studies have been funded by companies that produce collagen supplements, which may raise ethical questions about bias.

Similar supplements to collagen

Olga Shumytskaya/Getty Images

It's difficult to find other supplements that replicate the effects of collagen because its amino acid makeup is different from other proteins. However, you could try boosting your intake of glycine and proline, the key amino acids that are involved in creating collagen. They're most often found in protein-rich foods like meat and poultry, but they're also available in supplement form.

If you're most interested in how collagen can help improve your hair, nails and skin, you could consider keratin or biotin, which typically come in the form of shampoos and salon treatments but are also sold as dietary supplements. Biotin is also found in certain foods, including legumes, egg yolks, nuts and avocados.

For more advice on supplements, here are five fitness supplements that are proven to work. Plus, check out these three alternatives to melatonin for better sleep without drowsiness the next day. 

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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The battle for midrange phones is going to get crazier

The battle for midrange phones is going to get crazier

Samsung did something crazy last October -- it introduced a midrange phone with new features its top-end devices didn't even have. It also threw two massive launch parties for that phone, one in Malaysia and another in Madrid.

The 2018 version of the Samsung Galaxy A7 and A9 weren't new by any means. Samsung's A phones get refreshed every year with newer processors and some trickle-down tech from its Galaxy S series, such as water resistance and always-on AMOLED displays. But this year's phones were completely different. Loaded with four rear cameras, the Galaxy A9 hints at what's to come in next year's flagship Galaxy S10. 

So why has Samsung switched strategies and started making a big deal of its midrange phones? The answer, as always, is simple: China.

With over 208 million low-to-midrange phones shipped in 2017 -- about 49 percent of the total phones market in China -- according to data from analyst firm Gartner, local brands such as Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi hold 90 percent of China's market share in the first half of 2018. As such, its phone market is a tough one for most to crack.

Samsung had a great start there. It owned 20 percent of the market five years ago. But today, it has just 2 percent, after finding itself priced out of the competition by cheaper and hungrier local Android rivals.

"In China we're struggling, but we know what we have done wrong, and we're putting lots of effort to fix it. We're looking to bring back the Chinese customers' love and loyalty, and I do believe maybe from next year we can see the recovery in China," said Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh.

Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh speaking at the Samsung Galaxy A7 and A9 global launch.

Samsung

Koh's new strategy is to target millennials, offering them a big screen and a camera that can post great pictures on social media. The A7 and A9 phones can do all of that without the flagship price tag.

Even as Samsung starts gunning for China, local competitors aren't letting up. Chinese manufacturer Oppo mostly makes midrange phones. It brands them as flagships, adding features such as a Time-of-Flight (TOF) camera and an in-screen fingerprint scanner.

Oppo also plans to release an app to take advantage of the TOF camera features and use its 3D sensors for AR. But at the end of the day, the company believes it will have another thing that will make its phones fly off the shelves.

"Design will make us stand out," said Oppo's overseas market product manager Chuck Wang in an interview with CNET. Wang believes that the company's focus on making beautiful phones will help resonate with its customers.

Design is what makes the Oppo R17 Pro stand out from the competition. 

Juan Garzon / CNET

China's definitely ripe for a shift in market strategy, and Samsung may be able to tap into this with its Galaxy A7 and A9. A key strategy could be looking into higher-quality devices, which is what the A7 and A9 offer, while also trying to get their phones in front of consumers.

Analyst firm Gartner breaks it down even further, classifying what we'd typically call low-end and midrange phones as "basic phones". 208 million of those basic phones were shipped in China last year. The firm estimates that that number will increase to 228 million by 2022, with Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi dominating the market with 90 percent share in the first half of 2018.

Gartner attributes these Chinese firms' success to products with superior price performance, better retail strategy in online and shops, while featuring aggressive marketing in traditional and social media channels.

"Chinese mobile phone users are more attached to their devices than their global counterparts, integrating their work [and] personal lives, and they have exceptionally high adoption of mobile payments, online shopping and social apps during their 24/7 digital lives," said Angie Wang, a senior principal analyst at Gartner.

"Future market growth will be driven by upgrades and both product quality and customer experience are key in the eyes of these upgraders. Investing in tight integration of artificial intelligence, hardware and software for delivering customized experience will be key to capturing growth, especially in premium segment."

Taking It to Extremes: Mix insane situations -- erupting volcanoes, nuclear meltdowns, 30-foot waves -- with everyday tech. Here's what happens.

Fight the Power: Take a look at who's transforming the way we think about energy. 

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Damaged Liver Is Repaired in Machine for Three Days, Then Transplanted

Damaged Liver Is Repaired in Machine for Three Days, Then Transplanted

Back in May 2021, Swiss researchers removed the damaged liver of an organ donor, placed it in a novel machine that mimicked the human body's biology and treated it in that machine for three days. They then transplanted the newly repaired organ into a cancer patient who needed a new liver but was stuck on the painfully long organ transplant waitlist.

As of Tuesday, one year since the trailblazing procedure, the team reports that the organ recipient is still doing exceptionally well.

"The patient rapidly recovered a normal quality of life without any signs of liver damage," the research team, called Liver4Life, wrote in a paper about the medical milestone published Tuesday in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

"I am very grateful for the life-saving organ," the 62-year-old organ recipient said in a statement. "Due to my rapidly progressing tumor, I had little chance of getting a liver from the waiting list within a reasonable time." The patient's name was not released.

Dr. Pierre-Alain Clavien, who was the surgeon, stands with the patient (right) as he was discharged from hospital after the successful transplantation last year.

USZ

Typically, even perfectly viable donor livers can only remain outside the human body for about 12 hours in conventional cold storage or a maximum of 24 hours in a machine like the team's new one, dubbed a perfusion machine. 

Within that time frame, doctors need to "assess, transport and implant donor grafts for human transplantation," per the paper -- not only does this greatly limit the distance these organs can travel before reaching a recipient and room for error during transport, but it also essentially rules out the possibility of repairing an organ prior to transplantation. 

Damaged donor organs are often discarded, further exacerbating the organ shortage crisis. According to Organdonor.gov, well over 100,000 Americans are awaiting an organ transplant, and 17 patients die each day while still on the waitlist. 

But because the Swiss researchers' new style of perfusion machine sort of acted as a second human body, it allowed the liver specimen to survive externally for three days. They first announced the concept in 2020, at the time stating that their invention can keep a liver outside the human body for one week. However, this marks the first time a liver kept in the device was successfully transplanted into a patient.

"Our therapy shows that treating livers in the perfusion machine makes it possible to alleviate the lack of functioning donor organs and save lives," Dr. Pierre-Alain Clavien, director of the Clinic for Visceral and Transplantation Surgery at the University Hospital Zurich and the surgeon who transplanted the organ, said in a statement.

Basically, this machine has a pump to serve in place of a heart, an oxygenator in place of lungs and dialysis unit in place of kidneys. It can infuse the organs with nutrients and hormones that would normally come from the intestine and pancreas, and even moves the liver to the rhythm of human breathing like a diaphragm would. Additionally, it offers a similar pressure and temperature to natural human biology. In other words, for a liver in the contraption, it's almost like it never left the body.

The perfusion machine replaces the functions of various organs in order to keep the donor liver alive outside of the body.

USZ

So in this highly regulated environment, during those three days, the team flushed the liver with antibiotics and hormonal therapies, for instance, while monitoring how well the organ functioned, like in terms of bile production and tissue strength. This went on until the liver met the standards of a "good" donor organ. Then, it was successfully transplanted into the organ recipient with his consent. 

"The transplanted liver exhibited normal function, with minimal reperfusion injury and the need for only a minimal immunosuppressive regimen," the paper states. Immunosuppressive medication is vital after transplant procedures because these drugs essentially tell the body's immune system to not attack while the foreign organ gets acquainted with its new world. Without the "don't attack" warning, the body can reject the organ, deeming it an intruder.

Dr. Pierre-Alain Clavien and Dr. Philipp Dutkowski during the transplantation of the liver treated in the machine.

USZ

And beyond remarkably saving a life, the team's achievement marks a tremendous breakthrough for the field of medicine. It's direct evidence that damaged donor organs can be repaired and considered for patients awaiting transplants -- transplants that could mean the difference between life and death. Plus, it's proof that one day, transplantation doesn't necessarily have to be an emergency, time crunch procedure. 

"This inaugural clinical success opens new horizons in clinical research and promises an extended time window of up to 10 days for assessment of viability of donor organs as well as converting an urgent and highly demanding surgery into an elective procedure," the paper states. Going forth, the team plans to test the procedure on other patients as well as develop the next generation of these powerful perfusion machines.

"The interdisciplinary approach to solving complex biomedical challenges that is used in this project is the future of medicine," Mark Tibbitt, a professor of Macromolecular Engineering at ETH Zurich, said in a statement. 

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Nvidia is holding a special GeForce event on Sept. 1, RTX 3080 card rumored

Nvidia is holding a special GeForce event on Sept. 1, RTX 3080 card rumored

Nvidia has some GeForce news, and the graphics card maker has set up a countdown clock in anticipation of its big Sept. 1 announcement. Calling it the "Ultimate Countdown," Nvidia's special event site teases, "Before we enter the future, join us to celebrate the biggest breakthroughs in PC gaming since 1999. And what comes next." 

Not much is known about what will be shown off, but recent rumors have hinted that the company will be using the day to announce its new higher-end RTX 3080 graphics card. A recent report from TweakTown suggests the RTX 3000 series could arrive in September. 

The new card is rumored to take advantage of the company's new Ampere GPU architecture, which the company has already begun deploying with its DGX A100 boards in some data centers. 

Nvidia's market cap, the total value of its shares, passed that of Intel for the first time last month. Nvidia has seen huge demand for its chips in data centers and for artificial intelligence processing.

Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang will give an "address" at the event, which will be broadcast on the company's site at noon ET (9 a.m. PT). 

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Zoom anxiety lingers even a year into the WFH era

Zoom anxiety lingers even a year into the WFH era

This story is part of a series on life one year into the pandemic. Make sure to read part two:  Zoom anxiety is real. Here's how to combat it . We've also got stories onwhy COVID may have changed our habits forever, andhow the pandemic gives health care workers a chance to shine on social media.

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When coronavirus lockdowns began a year ago and much of the world turned to Zoom and other video chat services for work and socializing, Amanda Stevens, a project manager for New York state, found herself with a couple of very specific anxieties about her work-from-home video meetings. One was fighting the urge to fix her hair all the time, now that she was spending hours on end staring at her own reflection. The other? "My very old dog is prone to loud, unpredictable flatulence and I live in fear of it being picked up by my mic... and it not being attributed to my dog," she said. 

One year into the pandemic, video chat platforms have afforded many people the ability to work from home and stay connected with family and friends. We've heard a lot about "Zoom fatigue" -- the sense of utter exhaustion you feel after a day of staring at your screen for on-camera meetings, worsened when most of your after-work socializing is happening through video, too. But the related concept of "Zoom anxiety" has gotten less attention, though it can be more debilitating for many -- and have potential career implications. 

Few studies on Zoom anxiety exist, but a November survey of 2,000 home workers found that it stems from several sources: having tech and audio problems that you can't fix; being unable to read people's body language; feeling like you aren't being heard; having to take a call without time to prepare your appearance; worrying about an unprofessional background; and being talked over. (To be clear, in this story I'm using Zoom as a stand-in for all video chat platforms, since it essentially became a verb for video calls in 2020.) 

"When you're face-to-face, you can pick up on a lot of things unconsciously in people's body language -- you notice if someone isn't reacting well, or if someone looks a bit uncomfortable," said Libby Sander, assistant professor of organizational behavior at Bond University in Queensland, Australia, who is studying the psychological effects of working from home. "You can get cues about when to interject into a conversation, and whether or not to pursue a particular line of discussion based on reading the room. It's pretty difficult or even impossible to do that on Zoom." 

Even as vaccines are rolling out nationwide, the pandemic and moving to working from home are spurring many companies to create a hybrid workforce, where people split their time between home and the office -- which means video conferencing is likely here to stay. But if you suffer from anxiety using these on-camera tools, know that you're far from alone.

Read more: How to use Zoom Escaper, a sneaky tool for sabotaging your video calls

'The nightmares followed'

Zoom anxiety can come from having strangers see your space.

vgajic/Getty Images

Vivek Wadhwa, a distinguished fellow at the Harvard Law School Labor and Worklife Program, does a lot of TV appearances through Zoom. Once, he had to quickly change a shirt before an interview, and did so without realizing the camera was on. Luckily he wasn't on air, but it was a close enough call that "the nightmares followed," he said. 

"Remember the 'college dream' or 'examination dream' in which you're late for class and miss the exam, or you can't find the classroom, or studied the wrong subject?" Wadhwa said. "The new 'college dream' is when you forget to change out of your pajamas before going on Zoom." 

At the start of the pandemic, Caroline Jo, a brand marketer in Orange County, California, would dress up for video meetings, wear makeup and play around with Zoom filters. But as time went on, the energy that went into these meetings became draining, and she found herself riddled with stress and unable to sleep the night before days packed with video calls. 

"I'm a marketer, and marketers are stereotypically known to be the vivacious, outspoken bunch, but I am keenly introverted and introspective, which I do believe are still very valuable to work," Jo said. "However, when it comes to Zoom meetings specifically, the anxiety comes from even the most basic things -- awkward silences, the game of 'who should speak next?', the constant attention, the forced small talk, and technological snafus like audio issues or being bold and speaking up yet realizing I was on mute the whole time." 

These stressors can arise outside of the workplace, too. Kristen Taylor Hunt, an artist from Louisville, Kentucky, started avoiding her therapy sessions when they moved to a video chat format. "I often can't concentrate on what's actually happening or being said because I'm worried about if my reactions look genuine, or do people think I don't care about what's being said because I look bored or angry," she said. As a person with multiple autoimmune diseases, "COVID has really taken a toll on my mental health ... I really need to be in therapy." 

Social video chats can also trigger stress. When you see friends in person, you don't feel the same pressure to "perform socially" that you do on video chat, Suzanne Degges-White, a professor and chair of the counseling and higher education department at Northern Illinois University, pointed out in a Psychology Today column. Just being present in the same space is enough. But on video, you're more likely to feel like you have to be constantly talking or entertaining in some way -- otherwise, you're just sitting there smiling at the camera. 

Career opportunities and the gender gap

Women typically have more trouble being heard during meetings than men, and video conferencing can make this worse.

FilippoBacci/Getty Images

Some aspects of Zoom anxiety appear to be gendered. A number of studies have shown the gender inequities present in in-person meetings and group settings. Generally, men are viewed as more competent for speaking longer, while women are viewed as less competent for doing the same. Women are also far more likely to be interrupted or spoken over. These issues are exacerbated over video chat, Sander said, and women may struggle to get chances to get across their point of view. 

One small 2017 study examined women's gaze during Skype video calls and found that those who were socially anxious spent more time looking at their own image -- particularly if the person they were speaking to was being critical of them. 

Video chat platforms also tend to reward those who are the loudest, since that's whose voice will get picked up. And when you have that awkward moment where two people are talking, the lag can make it difficult to circle back to the other person, Sander added. 

Outside of the talking elements, many women have also reported feeling stressed and being apologetic over their appearance on camera, while men tend to worry less about how they look or what they're wearing. Jason Sudeikis wearing a hoodie to accept his Golden Globe award via Zoom, compared to the full makeup and evening gowns of most female nominees, is a pretty solid example of this. 

For people across the gender spectrum, working from home can offer fewer opportunities for building professional relationships, especially if you were new to a job when the pandemic hit. Your work may be less visible to your manager, and you have fewer opportunities for casual discussions that arise in an office environment about the work you're doing or any problems you're having, Sander said. 

"We'll have to wait and see how it plays out in terms of career progression, but right now people are most concerned about health and safety, and the continuity of business and having a job," she added. "But I do think there are big issues we have to be aware of." 

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