"Everyone is dressing casually," has been the response when I use the excuse of my appearance for leaving my camera off. "Everyone" is not a Black woman with natural hair in a predominately white male industry under heightened scrutiny for the content of their work and their appearance.
Make no mistake, as a junior to mid-career professional in a virtual corporate world, camera-time is important and vital to career development and relationship building. However, pre-quarantine, the majority of these video calls would have been telephone calls. In-person meetings were a rarity even when I was in the office 5 days per week.
Below are a few tips for surviving "camera culture":
1. Set boundaries for camera calls. I choose not to have calls on camera before 10am or after 5pm. Set boundaries that work for you.
2. Download virtual backgrounds. There are many free and paid virtual background options. Not only do they add an air of professionalism, but they also provide privacy and a bit of self-expression.
3. Invest in good lighting. Because of space constraints, the light from the window is behind me when I'm at my desk. To combat visibility issues, I purchased a relatively inexpensive ring light set. It has two lights, multiple settings, and it's adjustable.
4. Just say no. There can be a lot of pressure to turn your camera on from coworkers and clients. I preempt any questions or comments by announcing at the beginning of the call that I will be "off camera." This approach is generally met with respect and I occasionally get some converts who turn their cameras off too.
Camera culture is a great tool in a virtual world, but it can be stressful particularly for members of marginalized groups for whom appearance-based biases may directly impact their work experience. Don't take the off switch personally and don't be shy about using it.
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