Abstract

The chapter examines social breaks from work taken on a virtual platform. Virtual platforms offer a different framework for social interaction than in-person meetings: where they provide a possibility to interact over distances, they also require the use of varying resources to create and maintain a sense of co-presence and social intimacy. By drawing on recordings of video-mediated breaks among members of relatively long-standing work communities in Finland, the study explores ways in which participants zoom in and bring depth to the two-dimensional rendering of the virtual platform. The study highlights the complex multimodal and spatial dimensions of virtual breaks and the characteristics related to sensorial experiences and intermediality as these appear in interaction. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of informal interaction in work communities, with a special focus on the role of social curiosity in being mindful of others, displaying closeness and strengthening existing ties.