That sounds more like a problem with the way the meeting is run not if it’s conducted via audio, video or VR.
If you feel like it’s wasting your time you are probably in a meeting you shouldn’t be in or it’s not properly organized with specific goals that need to be addressed in the meeting.
I feel like running an audio stream in the background and just do other things is not something that solves that. And why wouldn’t you be able to just minimize the video and do what you want to do if you don’t feel like attending?
It is not though and I don't feel like I'm wasting my time. Audio stream in the background and pitching in when I need to is perfect -- I learn all that I need to learn and I can multitask. It is the same concept as listening to podcasts whilst driving, albeit a bit more interactive. You can see why it'd be incredibly awkward to do this via video.
If you feel like it’s wasting your time you are probably in a meeting you shouldn’t be in or it’s not properly organized with specific goals that need to be addressed in the meeting.
I feel like running an audio stream in the background and just do other things is not something that solves that. And why wouldn’t you be able to just minimize the video and do what you want to do if you don’t feel like attending?