Your Video Call Background: When to Hide It, When to Show It, and Why It Matters for Everyone.
Ever wondered if your video call background is helping or hindering you? In today's digital age, video calls have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, whether it's for work meetings, catching up with friends, or virtual family gatherings. While most platforms offer handy features to blur or replace your background, many think these are just for privacy or hiding a messy room. But what if we told you there's a deeper strategy behind your digital backdrop?
This post will uncover the surprising array of benefits that come with managing your video call background. It will reveal hidden advantages for professionalism, security, and even personal connections that go far beyond a simple blur. Let's examine why mastering your video call background isn't just a gimmick but a truly smart move for everyone.
1. Protect Your Privacy and Personal Space
This is perhaps the most obvious benefit, but it's worth emphasising. Your home is your private sanctuary, and a video call can inadvertently turn it into a public display. A simple background blur or virtual image can:
Shield your living environment: Prevent colleagues, clients, or even casual acquaintances from seeing details of your home décor, personal belongings, or the general state of your living space.
Guard family members: Ensure that family members who might walk by in the background aren't unintentionally shown on camera. This is especially important for children.
Avoid unwanted scrutiny: Let's face it, people are naturally curious. Hiding your background keeps the focus on you and the conversation, not on your bookshelves or laundry pile.
2. Boost Your Professionalism and Focus
A distracting background can undermine your credibility and detract from the meeting itself. Using a background filter can significantly enhance your professional image:
Maintain a polished appearance: Even if your home office is a corner of your living room, a neutral or blurred background projects a more professional image, making you appear organised and focused.
Minimise distractions: An unorganised background or one not specifically designed for video calls can be incredibly distracting for both you and the person/people you're calling. A clean background helps everyone concentrate on what's being said, not on the clutter behind you.
Flexibility in location: No need to meticulously tidy up or find the "perfect" spot every time you have a call. You can take a meeting from virtually anywhere in your home without worrying about the visual impact.
3. Enhance Your Security (Yes, Really!)
Beyond just privacy, there are subtle but important security advantages to obscuring your background:
Location Inference: Details in your background, such as landmarks visible through a window, unique architectural features, or even specific local items, could potentially be used to narrow down your physical location. For individuals, this might seem minor, but it's information that can be collected and potentially used.
Revealing Habits and Routines: Consistent background details over multiple calls could inadvertently reveal patterns in your daily life or habits, which could be exploited by those with malicious intent.
Accidental Information Leakage: You might unknowingly have sensitive documents, personal photos, or other private information visible in your background. A blur or virtual background acts as a crucial barrier, preventing any accidental exposure of such data to unintended viewers.
4. Enjoy Convenience and Creative Expression
Finally, hiding your background offers practical convenience and even a dash of fun:
No more frantic tidying: Spontaneous video call? No problem! You don't have to scramble to clean up or move items out of frame.
Express your personality: Many platforms offer a wide range of virtual backgrounds, from serene landscapes to quirky designs. You can choose one that reflects your mood or personality, or even use it as a conversation starter.
Increased comfort: Knowing your personal space is private can make you feel more relaxed and confident during your calls, allowing you to fully engage without self-consciousness.
When a Clear Background Can Be the Better Choice
While background filters offer many advantages, there are definitely situations where showcasing your actual surroundings is not only acceptable but can be beneficial. Personally, I have a dedicated video call area with a controlled and consistent background, so I often opt not to use a blur or virtual image. It's a smart move if your space is intentionally set up.
Building Rapport and Connection: A thoughtfully curated background can offer a glimpse into your personality, hobbies, or achievements, providing natural conversation starters. For instance, my background features retro computers like the SNES, as well as trophies I've won from go-karting. These often become talking points with people and genuinely help me build rapport and forge a more personal connection with the person/people I'm calling, which might be harder to achieve with a generic virtual background.
Authenticity and Trust: For some, seeing a genuine, consistent backdrop can build a sense of authenticity and trust, especially in professional relationships where you want to present a true representation of yourself.
No Risk of Accidental Leaks: If your dedicated space is intentionally clear of sensitive information and remains consistent, the risk of accidentally revealing what you shouldn't is significantly reduced. This allows you to leverage the benefits of a real background without the privacy or security concerns.
Conclusion
In today's interconnected world, mastering the art of the video call is essential. By simply choosing to blur or hide your background, you're not just being trendy – you're actively enhancing your privacy, professionalism, security, and overall comfort. However, understanding when to embrace your authentic surroundings can also provide unique opportunities to connect and build stronger relationships. It's about making a conscious choice that best serves your purpose and personality in each virtual interaction.
Platforms like Google Meet are excellent examples, providing versatile options that allow for both enhanced privacy through blurring, the ability to showcase a carefully designed real background with optimal visual quality, and even the option to generate unique AI backgrounds.
If you'd like to find out more about optimising your video calls, explore advanced Google Meet features, or need assistance with Google Workspace, Kimbley IT is here to help. As Google Workspace and Google Meet specialists for many years, we're ready to chat. You can book a video call with us using the form directly below this post. Feel free to show off your favourite custom background – or ask us about ours!
