It’s a 21st century phenomenon, as you might expect, without historical antecedent. After all, when the knights of the roundtable sat down to discuss business, Sir Lancelot probably wasn’t fixated on the imperfections of his nose.

Today, video conferencing gives us a prolonged look at someone whose eyes we should perhaps avoid.

Ourselves.

A team of American researchers recently questioned whether the self-view offered by popular video-conferencing programs make us all too likely to focus on our perceived defects.

Their research indicates that people are more apt to consider cosmetic procedures the longer they stare at themselves during these calls.

Scientists say sitting in a long online meeting is like sitting in front of a mirror. And the study notes that program features allowing users to touch up their image might actually make things worse, by creating an idealized version of one’s image.

Investigators surveyed 500 participants about their video-conferencing habits. Nearly 70% said they used features to touch up their appearance during calls. Two-thirds say they often looked at their own faces as others made presentations.

More than half report their time online affected their desire for cosmetic procedures such as surgery, Botox, or weight reduction or laser treatments.

It’s similar to another modern malady called Snapchat dysmorphia. That’s when someone undergoes cosmetic alterations to better resemble their filtered, online likeness.

Perhaps no big surprise, but when mask-wearing was encouraged during the pandemic, nearly 69% of those who often saw themselves on screen reported better self-esteem when they wore masks.