It must surely have been obvious that “Zoom socials” were a largely terrible idea, but with many workforces operating virtual during the pandemic they were nonetheless common as managers sought to keep teams together. Aside from the obvious forced-fun aspect of such events, research from the University of Pittsburgh highlights that the combination of virtual social interaction and alcohol was not a healthy one, and would often produce a variety of negative consequences.

The study involved participants conducting video chats with either a friend or a stranger in a separate room. Some participants were given alcoholic drinks while others were given nonalcoholic drinks. Researchers monitored participants’ eye movements during the video call, known as “gaze behavior.”

Unhappy hour

The results showed that those who consumed alcohol before the video chat spent more time focusing on themselves rather than their partners, and reported feeling more negative after the virtual exchange compared to those who did not drink. Notably, the mood-enhancing effects of alcohol observed in in-person interactions were not present in the virtual interactions.

“In a face-to-face conversation, we would expect alcohol to reduce your focus on yourself, which is one of the effects of alcohol that people seem to enjoy,” the researchers explain. “Yet in this online study, when your own face is staring back at you from the monitor, it seems that alcohol loses this effect. This may explain why some people don’t find alcohol to enhance socializing in a virtual format.”