I’m sure some of you have heard of the Instagram account “Dude With Sign.” Recently, I saw a post of him holding up a sign that said “Not Every Call Needs To Be A Video Call.” Since the shift to telework over the past few months, virtual meetings have become a daily occurrence for many. There have been countless memes and posts bemoaning the agony of sitting in a Zoom call with coworkers, with some places suggesting that too many video calls can turn people into “Zoombies.”

It makes sense that people are frustrated with video calls; after all, phone calls can be more convenient for those who are working or have a lot of responsibilities in their home, and video calls require an additional layer of attention.

However, there is value to the traditional meeting; the pandemic has limited social interaction, and it is critical that we maintain this to continue building connections and broaden our own perspectives through engaging with others. This is especially important when we return to campus in the fall. There are going to be significant changes to how we learn, with some classes being moved online and students being encouraged to maintain physical distancing as much as possible.

In order to build and maintain relationships as well as establish connections for future jobs and internships, it is critical that we continue to connect with others on a more personal level, which means that sometimes a video call is a much better option than an impersonal phone call. 

I have experienced this during weekly opinion meetings. Before the pandemic, meetings were very collaborative, consisting of bouncing ideas off each other as well as joking around and building rapport, making it easier to know one another. 

After social distancing policies were put in place, however, we began meeting over the phone call app Discord, and meetings were often very disjointed and brief; sometimes they only consisted of a general statement or two by our section leader, then, after each person was assigned their topic for the week, we all hung up. This has made meetings feel far more awkward and even unnecessary, and has made it far more difficult to connect with the other writers, both personally and professionally.

However, the last few meetings have taken place over Google Meet, and it has been far easier to share ideas, and the meetings have opened with some people sharing funny stories or talking about current events or anecdotes. This has made the meetings much more personable, and I feel like the teamwork and social elements that make being part of the opinion section so enjoyable are back.

Interacting face-to-face through a video call with classmates and professors rather than over a phone call can help build more rapport, and both parties are likely to be more engaged with what the other is saying. While video chats are not necessary for every interaction and some meetings are more effective when done via phone call, the idea of eliminating video call meetings altogether is problematic. It could make it more difficult to obtain the benefits of social interaction, which, as college students who will hopefully be returning to campus in the fall, are an integral part of the classroom environment.

Talking with people on the phone is similar to texting in that it is more difficult to gauge the other person’s reactions and interpret the intent behind their words. How many of you have ever exchanged texts with someone and the other person misinterpreted what you were saying, or vice versa? Also, when on a phone call, people are much more likely to talk over each other and have a difficult time knowing when to speak due to not being able to read the other person’s facial expressions. As college students, regardless of the field we are going into, the ability to actively listen and respond to others is invaluable and we will need this skill for the rest of our lives.

While not every call has to be a video call, we can use video calls as an opportunity to continue connecting with others. If I were to remake Dude with Sign’s post, I would say “not all video calls are pointless.”