Zoom University
BY BELLE HU '22
The very first time I ever used Zoom, I had three mental breakdowns. Seriously. After typing in the username and password that my teacher had sent, I remained locked out of the conference call. Imagine my surprise later when I FaceTimed my friend and was told that I shouldn’t have needed a username and password in the first place. I entered the next conference call by dialing in. My teacher utterly exposed me because, of course, I was the only person dialing in.
However, I quickly realized that my Zoom struggles would complicate my learning experience as it became the go-to platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies, schools, and institutions have started to host meetings solely on Zoom. Further, the platform is also used for casual settings. Amid the increasing chaos around the world, Zoom has maintained a sense of normalcy for many people. Whether it be through college “Zoom parties,” birthday parties, or blind dates, Zoom creates stability and excitement in the lives of all age groups.
Despite the urgency of COVID-19, Zoom has helped forge an emotional connection between students across the country. As evicted college students and lethargic high schoolers begin sharing relatable online learning experiences, a spotlight shines on Generation Z. (Some people have wondered why our generation is even called Gen Z. Perhaps it’s because no matter our race, gender, we are all “Zoomers” in the end.) It does not come as a surprise that Zoom memes have increased exponentially since the closure of schools, businesses, and universities. In fact, I recently joined a new Facebook page with some hilarious content called “Zoom Memes for Self Quaranteens” with over 660,000 members. Yet as a “Zoomer,” I still haven’t figured out how to display a virtual background like my classmates, and consequently, I am starting to feel kind of like a boomer.
For someone very accustomed to Google Hangouts (don’t @ me), Zoom was nerve-wracking to operate at first. So of course, I initially panicked when things unexpectedly went awry, and AB decided to make the official switch to Zoom for online learning. Yet, there are some Zoom problems that we all seem to share. For one, I will admit I have a disproportionately intense fear of accidentally forgetting to mute my microphone, allowing my classmates to listen in on whatever I happen to be subconsciously muttering, doing, or EATING. I mean, I am not a certified ASMR social media influencer. I have seen too many fails on “Zoom Memes for Self-Quarantines,” where others were exposed for forgetting to turn off both their camera and microphone. I mean, seriously, do we really want to listen in on what’s going on in the bathroom? Then again, I am obviously not immune to these issues; background noise from a forgotten, unmuted mic always interrupts the lecture. As long as you don’t wear headphones amped up to full volume like I do, you’ll be fine. For the rest of you, I hope your eardrums rest in peace.
To complicate matters, Zoom is more prone to frequent awkward silences after the teacher asks a question; we all just sit uncomfortably with our profile pictures representing our participation. It’s even worse when the teacher disappears and gets booted for connection issues; we all sit there awkwardly for further instruction. In general, we rarely speak up, not uttering a word until the shower of “Thank you!”s at the end of class. Despite how exasperating Zoom classes can be after two months, at least there is still a silver lining: memes. And these will be one of the notable contributions to society made by us Zoomers.
But an interesting question that we have generally just accepted without further inquiry is, why Zoom? Why not Skype or Google Hangouts or FaceTime? Despite several security scandals, many agree that Zoom’s modernity seems to appeal more towards younger audiences, with its many features and genuine reliability. Some college students, who have shifted from an in-person learning atmosphere to a remote online learning environment, even joke that they attend UZoom, or University of Zoomsylvania, since all of their onlines classes are now hosted on the platform. In fact, some college students have even created some Zoom University merchandise, adding some humor to the direness of the current situation.
As the COVID-19 pandemic makes its mark in history as the evil villain who single-handedly interrupted every aspect of human life, Zoom has risen to the occasion and become a savior of normalcy. Thus, Zoom memories will definitely stick out to us when we tell our grandchildren about the hectic year of 2020, accompanied by the Iran affair, the Australian bushfires, Kobe’s death, as well as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s divorce from royalty. Whether it be the seemingly never-ending virtual classes or the exciting quarantine birthday parties, Zoom will always be a hallmark of an unforgettable and crazy period of our lives.
However, I quickly realized that my Zoom struggles would complicate my learning experience as it became the go-to platform during the COVID-19 pandemic. Companies, schools, and institutions have started to host meetings solely on Zoom. Further, the platform is also used for casual settings. Amid the increasing chaos around the world, Zoom has maintained a sense of normalcy for many people. Whether it be through college “Zoom parties,” birthday parties, or blind dates, Zoom creates stability and excitement in the lives of all age groups.
Despite the urgency of COVID-19, Zoom has helped forge an emotional connection between students across the country. As evicted college students and lethargic high schoolers begin sharing relatable online learning experiences, a spotlight shines on Generation Z. (Some people have wondered why our generation is even called Gen Z. Perhaps it’s because no matter our race, gender, we are all “Zoomers” in the end.) It does not come as a surprise that Zoom memes have increased exponentially since the closure of schools, businesses, and universities. In fact, I recently joined a new Facebook page with some hilarious content called “Zoom Memes for Self Quaranteens” with over 660,000 members. Yet as a “Zoomer,” I still haven’t figured out how to display a virtual background like my classmates, and consequently, I am starting to feel kind of like a boomer.
For someone very accustomed to Google Hangouts (don’t @ me), Zoom was nerve-wracking to operate at first. So of course, I initially panicked when things unexpectedly went awry, and AB decided to make the official switch to Zoom for online learning. Yet, there are some Zoom problems that we all seem to share. For one, I will admit I have a disproportionately intense fear of accidentally forgetting to mute my microphone, allowing my classmates to listen in on whatever I happen to be subconsciously muttering, doing, or EATING. I mean, I am not a certified ASMR social media influencer. I have seen too many fails on “Zoom Memes for Self-Quarantines,” where others were exposed for forgetting to turn off both their camera and microphone. I mean, seriously, do we really want to listen in on what’s going on in the bathroom? Then again, I am obviously not immune to these issues; background noise from a forgotten, unmuted mic always interrupts the lecture. As long as you don’t wear headphones amped up to full volume like I do, you’ll be fine. For the rest of you, I hope your eardrums rest in peace.
To complicate matters, Zoom is more prone to frequent awkward silences after the teacher asks a question; we all just sit uncomfortably with our profile pictures representing our participation. It’s even worse when the teacher disappears and gets booted for connection issues; we all sit there awkwardly for further instruction. In general, we rarely speak up, not uttering a word until the shower of “Thank you!”s at the end of class. Despite how exasperating Zoom classes can be after two months, at least there is still a silver lining: memes. And these will be one of the notable contributions to society made by us Zoomers.
But an interesting question that we have generally just accepted without further inquiry is, why Zoom? Why not Skype or Google Hangouts or FaceTime? Despite several security scandals, many agree that Zoom’s modernity seems to appeal more towards younger audiences, with its many features and genuine reliability. Some college students, who have shifted from an in-person learning atmosphere to a remote online learning environment, even joke that they attend UZoom, or University of Zoomsylvania, since all of their onlines classes are now hosted on the platform. In fact, some college students have even created some Zoom University merchandise, adding some humor to the direness of the current situation.
As the COVID-19 pandemic makes its mark in history as the evil villain who single-handedly interrupted every aspect of human life, Zoom has risen to the occasion and become a savior of normalcy. Thus, Zoom memories will definitely stick out to us when we tell our grandchildren about the hectic year of 2020, accompanied by the Iran affair, the Australian bushfires, Kobe’s death, as well as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s divorce from royalty. Whether it be the seemingly never-ending virtual classes or the exciting quarantine birthday parties, Zoom will always be a hallmark of an unforgettable and crazy period of our lives.
