Popular Science - USA (2020 - Winter)

your brain

on video chat

BYSARA KILEY WAT S O N

DATING, CATCHING UP WITH

family, and going to happy hour are

best in person. When those interac-

tions aren’t possible, loneliness and

even depression can creep in. How-

ever, we can still remain socially

healthy by hopping on video chat.

The modern means of commu-

nication can boost emotional and

psychological well-being in similar

ways to in-person mingling. A 2013

Cyber psychology study found that

video chatters expressed a higher rate

of emotional bonding than those who

talked on the phone or texted. (The for-

mat was beaten out only by in-person

meetups.) It seems the more immer-

sive our experiences with others are,

the more prone we are to bond. The

reason, says Alan Teo, an associate

professor of psychiatry at Oregon

Health and Science University, is likely

that some 80 percent of human com-

munication is nonverbal. Video chat,

unlike audio or text, still lets us convey

feelings via facial expressions.

When we make eye contact, we

notice movements like a slight smile,

raised cheeks, and squinted eyes,

which our brain senses, decodes, and

translates into readable emotional

messages. Suddenly, the word “hello”

becomes a spirited and genuine greet-

ing. A little bit of face time may be all

you need to keep your friends close

and your mind healthy.

HEADTRIPT R I P

ILLUSTRATIONS BYANA GALVAÑ

POPSCI.COM / WINTER 2020 125

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