The rapid ascent of Zoom is reminiscent of Xerox and Google, two companies whose names became verbs. Unlike copying papers or conducting Internet searches, however, too much Zooming can wear us out, deplete us. Whereas Xerox involves copying data, and Google involves accessing data, Zoom turns us into data. As observer and observed, we move from conference to conversation to webinar, sending and receiving information with the richness of all that we are reduced to a stripped-down streaming of audio and visual data. We have each become part of a television network lineup. It has all happened so fast and can be so exhausting that we not only run the risk of losing perspective but also a bit of ourselves.

In this column, I’ll share with you a simple technique that you may find helpful in the middle of long stretches of Zoom meetings. We’ll also consider how the technique can be applied to a variety of challenging moments, such as when having a difficult conversation, or reading unpleasant news reports, as this moment in history seems to leave us with no short supply.

Foreground and Background