No one is supposed to look at their face all day.

The pandemic driven increase in time spent on video, either for work or the rest of life, has changed how many people think about their faces. In this instalment of Culture Study, Anne Helen Petersen explores the Zoom Face phenomenon and what happens when the weight of "professionalism" falls squarely on the face.

Marni Penning

Anne Helen Petersen is a journalist and author of four books, including the forthcoming "Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working From Home."

Anne Helen Petersen

A weekly newsletter from journalist and author Anne Helen Petersen.

The name “Culture Study” is a modification of “Cultural Studies,” a term used to describe an academic field — and general posture — towards the culture that surrounds us. The scholars of this early field believed that if people found meaning or pleasure in a cultural object, no matter how high or low brow, it was worth thinking about.

A case of zoom dysmorphia