Alexey Sapkin
Self-View
Fixation
How fixation on one’s own image leads to attention depletion, anxiety, and hypercontrol
ISBN 978-5-0070-0634-7
Why can’t we tear our eyes away from our own faces during video calls? For 300,000 years, communication meant looking at someone else—we caught glimpses of ourselves only on rare occasions. What happens to the brain when we spend hours analyzing our own reflection in real time?
≈ 4h 14m · read the whole book on one page
About the Author
Alexey Sapkin
Alexey Sapkin is a certified clinical psychologist and CBT clinician specializing in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Schema Therapy. He is an International Affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a member of the Association for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy (a Beck Institute partner).
With a background deeply rooted in science communication, Alexey graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University, where he later taught disciplines at the intersection of psychology and media. A former science journalist and expert consultant for federal healthcare regulators, he is a strong advocate for evidence-based medicine. He currently runs a private practice focusing on anxiety spectrum disorders, helping clients navigate the complex cognitive traps of the modern digital world.
How fixated are you?
The SVF-7 Self-Test
Reflect on your experience with video calls over the past few months. Rate each statement from 1 to 5 — the result is calculated instantly and never leaves your browser.
During video calls, I frequently look at my own image for extended periods.
My gaze slides back to my own face automatically, even when I am trying to watch the speaker.
The presence of my face on the screen makes it difficult for me to fully concentrate on what others are saying.
After long video calls, I feel a specific kind of exhaustion or depletion that I do not experience after in-person meetings.
After a call, I sometimes struggle to remember details of the conversation because a portion of my attention was spent observing myself.
Seeing my own face on the screen regularly causes me background tension, anxiety, or dissatisfaction.
I feel that without the self-view window, things would be easier, but I hesitate (or don't want) to hide it.
A self-reflection tool based on the SVF-7 scale in Chapter 3 — not a clinical diagnosis. If self-view fixation is affecting your wellbeing, see the strategies in Part III or speak with a professional.
Contents
Every chapter is a page of its own — or read the whole thing on one page.