The COVID-19 Lens: Repurposing Zoom

The COVID-19 Lens: Repurposing Zoom

                       by Alfred Bordallo

Coronavirus has challenged us to see the world through a reality-altering lens. Literally. In January, Zoom was just a skype rip-off that enabled students to meet with their advisors remotely. It was only there because it felt more academic than FaceTime. In April, it’s a different story- Zoom has become the primary way through which individuals and institutions communicate under social distancing orders. From classrooms, offices, and even holiday gatherings, Zoom has become the primary way in which we are able to look into the lives of our now-distant friends and family. 

It’s no surprise that watching the world around us through Zoom is way different than through the naked eye. With such a limited perspective, Zoom has obscured the “less-essential” views of everyday life. For instance, in an average day of class, I see about two or three skateboard/bike collisions by merely walking outside and observing. For me, these encounters are prime examples of candid, unintended behaviors that are obscured from us when we only interact through Zoom. We miss out on the candid and the accidental; the small quirks and body language that characterize ourselves and those around us. While we might go out for groceries here and there, Zoom is our only look into the lives of others as we continue to stay inside.

Seeing the world through a Zoom lens is an adjustment, a filter that has equalized the means through which we see each other: almost entirely virtual. But like a pair of 3D glasses, there is an appropriate time for our Zoom lenses to be worn. Although 3D glasses serve no real purpose outside of 3D movies, maybe wearing them outside can give us a newfound appreciation for why we prefer not to wear them. We ought to appreciate our ability to see each other with the naked eye, because our literal point of view is more limited than ever before. 

The purpose of this project is to try and recount everyday life through a Zoom lens. In quarantine, we ought to remember the ways we interacted before lockdown. I honestly miss the little accidents on Trousdale and I’m tired of feeling like every time I talk to someone we’re wearing some weird goggles. If we don’t check in and remind ourselves the interactions we had before the virus, then we’ll have no idea how to act when we’re together again. 

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