Why Looking Remotely Good Matters

Modern technology has enabled “alive but not live” interactions that allow us to be up close and personal without getting in each other’s actual faces (think Zoom meetings and, now that school has started, online learning). Jeff Alford, president and CEO of cosmetics company the CBON Group, says, “Technology can be a double-edged sword. That’s because screen-time is very different from face-time and our appearance on-screen can vary dramatically from how we look in real life … all too often, it’s not a good look.” Here, his five top tips on why looking good for the webcam matters. —Vita Daily

dressing for the job. There’s an old cliché that goes something like “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Actually, both are true! Balancing home life with work/school life isn’t easy but some people are under the impression a video conference is a virtual extension of their home. Just the opposite: it’s an extension of their office or classroom. Dress, look and act accordingly—your job or your grades may depend on it.

impressions still matter. You wouldn’t attend a budget meeting or a biology class wearing pyjamas and rocking some serious “bed head,” now would you? Yet it happens, more often then you’d think! The internet is chock-a-block with tales of office drones who apparently roll out of bed and right into a video conference … just because they can! Think your boss, professor, co-workers and/or classmates will be impressed by your “dreamy” look? Better think again.

look sharp, feel sharp. When we look good, we feel good, and feeling like a million bucks will put you in the right frame of mind to work toward achieving your financial, professional or educational goals. Seeing yourself on video is a lot like looking in the mirror: you’ll feel better about yourself if you like what you see!

timing is everything. One downside of working from home is the erosion of the traditional 9-to-5 (or 9-to-3, for many schools) day. Homework such as group projects are often conducted before or after the dinner hour and as for office workers, you’d best look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when the boss wants something done and they want to see you NOW. Oh, and don’t forget to take off that lobster bib before answering your boss’s urgent late-evening Zoom invite.

appearance pressure. For most kids these days, the pressure to fit in socially at school can exceed the need to ace their studies. Unflattering lighting, a bad hair day, chipped or mismatched nails, even an untimely “maskne” breakout … what may be passing embarrassments for most of us could trigger major anxiety in your school-age child.

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