‘Can you hear me now?’ Study reveals why voices are raised on video calls

Scientists find that as video quality deteriorates, people speak louder and alter gestures to compensate

From frozen screens to the oblivious person on mute, the trials and tribulations of video calls became familiar challenges as the pandemic forced workers to communicate from their kitchen tables, makeshift offices and boxroom desks.

Now scientists have revealed why we often end up raising our voices at our colleagues: as video quality deteriorates, we speak louder and alter our gestures in an attempt to compensate.