Screen time takes new meaning in year of Zoom

Online meetings are becoming way too familiar and relaxed if you ask me.

It’s been a year now of Zoom meetings, webinars, online theater, remote court hearings and virtual Legislature. I’ve experienced it all — with the exception of the court hearing. I’ve run some of these virtual events and I’ve lurked in the background on even more. Here are my observations for those of you not getting as heavy a dose of this craziness.

Half the people don’t know how to unmute before they start talking and the other half invariably has to ask twice, “Can you hear me?” Duh, if we couldn’t hear you we would all be telling you to unmute.

Some folks don’t bother to mute after they’re done talking and they’re the ones who take a phone call or begin talking to a coworker who walks up to their desk. The background noise that person creates almost always causes the current speaker to stop mid-sentence.

Back when we had in-person meetings we never got to meet attendees’ dogs, cats and kids. We also didn’t get so up close and personal watching someone chew their sandwich either.

But then again, breaking bread virtually somehow just isn’t the same. Trust me, we tried a little of that on Thanksgiving. Long distance Christmas gifting loses a lot, too.

It’s not the same as in-person but I think the video adds an important dynamic. Rotary Club is better when I can see the faces of my fellow Rotarians. Government meetings, hearings and official functions should all require folks to have their camera turned on. How do I know if they’re still even in the room and listening? Maybe they’re in it just to get marked in attendance and they’re really playing with their dog.

Early in the pandemic I attended and even offered comment at meetings that were done on conference call with no audio and I really wished I could see the faces, reactions and level of attention I was receiving. I didn’t realize just how much I cued from that feedback until it was absent.

I’ve listened and participated in a good bit of the 2021 state legislative session, far more than I normally would have without a pandemic. Despite the time I’ve logged it’s been a little frustrating.

Most of the testimony sections don’t show video, just audio. It’s tough to figure out what’s being debated unless you stay on one committee room for awhile. Hire some production folks and get titles up. Give us a place to refer to the most up-to-date agenda. Let those testifying have more than a minute to talk even if you have to cut down the numbers allowed to testify. Give those folks some of the time expert testimony is wasting by repeating the same thing over and over.

We’re used to our screen time having a plot, good characters and a story with a moral. This screen stuff falls way short, except for when my puppy dog makes a cameo.

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

[email protected]