As schools and universities transition to online platforms, students are becoming more and more creative with ways to use Zoom, a free video chatting platform. Through Zoom, people can host meetings, lectures and webinars for free. The company has removed the 40-minute time limit on calls for schools affected by COVID-19.
With most of the country under stay-at-home orders, students have turned to Zoom speed dating. People are finding new ways of getting to know new people without having to actually meet in-person. Two Yale students created “Love over Zoom,” a Zoom dating website run by two computer science majors, Patrycja Garska and Ileana Valdez. So far, 2,200 students have signed up to participate in the online dating website.
How does the website work? It directs to a Google form—you can participate as long as you have a valid college email address. The description on the page reads, “Scared of social isolation? Fear not, Zoom will keep us together.” As a fun way to spend their free time, participants can choose to go on blind dates.
Celebrities and online influencers are joining in on the creativity. SNL did a skit over Zoom poking fun at a receptionist and their first time using the platform. It was very funny but also true about the struggles of using Zoom for the first time such as struggling to mute yourself and getting caught saying embarrassing things. Other YouTubers, such as Stewart Gauld, use the platform to inform their audience on how to use Zoom.
The world is under a lot of stress right now, but it is inspiring to see people being creative to surpass their boredom or help others. The best way Zoom is being put to use at DU is with community check-ins. The Latinx Student Alliance (LSA) had their Latinx community check-in on April 1st—DU HCC Staff psychologist, Nahed Barakat, was on the call in order to speak with students and make sure everyone was transitioning well with classes going online. LSA is not the only group on campus utilizing Zoom. The Asian Student Alliance, African Students United, Black Student Alliance, and others have also organized community check-ins to make sure students are safe and well.
During times like these, we need to be united as a community. Online classes aren’t ideal for many students. The transition is difficult, but we need more people using platforms like Zoom to get creative and in touch with communities. Resources are limited and we must take advantage of the resources provided to us. Things won’t go back to normal and they shouldn’t because many of us have grown and come to realize that the materialistic lifestyle here in America is hurting society. Through the struggle, we have learned and come out stronger than we were before. We must remember to have fun with it because we are all in this together.
