Zoom in the “New Normal”: Pros and Cons
“Whoever has their microphone on needs to turn it off please,” my professor said during one of my virtual Zoom classes this year. I had been sitting at my desk with the camera off, in sweatpants, half paying attention and loudly sighing out of boredom. However, this caught my attention because I hadn’t heard anyone but her speak. Then it hit me – my mic was on. Everyone had heard my loud, disrespectful sigh. I was mortified and immediately muted myself.
After a year and a half in the pandemic, most people have had a Zoom mishap or two. Despite the slip-ups and confusions that virtual life has caused us all, I believe that Zoom is an amazing tool, and we should continue to integrate it into our lives even as we enter the “new normal.”
Good for the physically challenged, not so much for the disadvantaged
Zoom has opened doors to some and closed them to others. Online school and work have allowed those with physical disabilities to contribute as equals with less physical limitations. It also allows them to be in their home near any necessary treatments and medications. Zoom has subtitles, which aid the hard of hearing, and Zoom allows meeting leaders to mute other participants, creating a more focused environment for neurodiverse students and workers.
As a college student with ADHD, a quiet “classroom” was a blessing to me. I focused much better during timed exams when I was able to mute my laptop or the professor kept all of the students muted. Noise and movement distract me easily, so having those stimuli removed allowed me to concentrate.
Unfortunately, Zoom also creates equity issues. Not everyone has access to stable internet and electronic devices, and young children tend to struggle with focus during online school. According to a study conducted by the International Telecommunication Union and UNICEF, two thirds of schoolchildren internationally lack stable access to the internet. Even in the United States, 12 million K-12 students remained “under-connected going into 2021.” Age and socioeconomic status exemplify the exceptions to Zoom’s general ability to create accessibility.
Zoom makes life easy
Additionally, Zoom is convenient. I had a 9 a.m. discussion section for one of my classes on Fridays last semester, and if not for Zoom, I don’t think I ever would have gone. I never would have had the motivation to wake up at 8 a.m. on a Friday and walk through the cold for a 50-minute discussion. Instead, I woke up at 8:45 a.m., logged on and drank my coffee from the comfort of my room. I still got just as much out of that discussion as I would have in person.
Productivity vs. relationship building
Many people cite saving time as another benefit of virtual life. We all quickly learned that that weekly live announcement could actually be an email; that unproductive, hour-long, in-person meeting became a 15-minute Zoom call; and commutes existed no longer. Zoom has allowed us to prioritize productivity and put more value into necessary in-person events.
However, productivity is not always the most important aspect of work or school. Those 10-minute chats before meetings or walks to class are missed with online life. Sometimes, face-to-face interactions are more important than the meeting or class themselves.
Flexibility
Lastly, Zoom provides options. I love the flexibility that comes with my virtual summer classes; it has allowed me to work my internship and job without scheduling issues. My Zoom classes during the school year enabled a random weekend trip in October, as I could attend my classes from anywhere. Since I do not have a car, Zoom allowed me to work a job that I otherwise would not have been able to get to.
COVID-19 took many things away, but Zoom opened just as many doors to new opportunities. We could have twice as many options with both in-person activities opening back up and virtual events remaining.
Zoom in the “new normal”: A compromise
Some people may push back on the idea of keeping Zoom around as our lives reopen, especially given some of the drawbacks I pointed out. I propose a simple solution: the hybrid approach.
Having both Zoom and in-person options to school, work, events and more would increase the pros of Zoom (accessibility, convenience, flexibility) and minimize the cons by allowing people to choose face-to-face as needed. As technology develops, so should our attitude toward it. Life does not need to be looked at as black or white, in person or online – life can be gray and hybrid instead.
Zoom, with all its connection issues, mishaps, and overheating devices, is a tool that has expanded and diversified our options. I hope to keep using Zoom in both my professional and personal life – though maybe I’ll begin double checking my mic.
Josie Jack is a University of Maryland journalism student. She loves writing about the human impact of today’s news. In her free time, Jack enjoys weightlifting, playing with her dog, and listening to music.
Featured photo credit: Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash