Z is for . . .

Social interaction is a key part of being human, whether that is at work, in meetings or catching up with friends and loved ones, the conversation never stops. In March 2020 the world entered a Pandemic and in the UK getting together in person ended in order to prevent spread of the Covid 19 virus. A word usually reserved for work meetings suddenly became common place. Since people could not get together in person the "Zoom" meeting rose to prominence.

Zoom is video conferencing software, where many people can join a virtual meeting. It's not the only software but it is a phrase that became popular. Even if having a "Teams" chat or "Facetime" or via Google or Facebook, A "Zoom meeting" was the slang phrase.

Even though many were confined to their home, technology allowed togetherness and many saw their Zooms change from just a work tool to a full social activity where virtual quizzes and parties took place.

It was more than just a tool, for example, in the UK some intensive care doctors and nurses that had to live away from their homes, for them it was a lifeline window back in to be with their families. A virtual meeting could help bring joy, comfort and avoid missing out - how many first steps or final words were shared via Zoom we'll never know.

Within a few weeks the world had become used to phrases like "... you're on mute, we can't hear you", the blurry backgrounds and cats joining calls. The rise of the virtual video meeting was a phenomenon.

Image from - Back Linko

Daily active users (DAU) of the Zoom app on android and iOS devices in the United Kingdom (UK) from January to November 2020

Image from - Statista