The Long-Term Effects of Zoom Culture

A couple of years ago, I'd never heard of Zoom. At work, when we had a virtual meeting, we used Google's Meeting software (or whatever it's called this week). Since I retired, I've used a variety of platforms for virtual meetings with doctors, bankers, family, and friends, but Zoom now seems to be the default for many people. Workspaces are becoming virtual as are many entertainment events.

For one example, see this post about how businesses in Toronto's PATH network that rely on office workers are suffering because 95 percent of office workers are now working from home. Yes, people will go back to the office, eventually, but not all of them. On another from, we're now paying to watch concerts online. What happens to concert halls and theatres? 

We need to think about these effects, as this article points out. 

So, while we absolutely sh\ould be thankful for the way in which Zoom has helped us maintain some semblance of connection and productivity throughout 2020, we must also take a hard look at the many pressing needs this experience has uncovered. These issues will have to be dealt with — and soon.

Already a necessity, broadband access is going to become ever more crucial for participating in society. OpenVault, a company that provides broadband software and tracks Internet usage pointed out that an “average US home in September used 384 gigabytes of data, up slightly from 380 gigabytes in June, but up 40% from September 2019.” The growth — whether it is driven by people working from home, shopping online, getting on-demand delivery, or cord-cutting — indicated that the future got here in a hurry.

Earlier this month, Leichtman Research reported that “the largest cable and wireline phone providers in the U.S. — representing about 96% of the market — acquired about 1,530,000 net additional broadband Internet subscribers in 3Q 2020.” In the trailing twelve months, these companies added 4.56 million subscribers, which represents “the most broadband net adds in a year since 3Q 2008-2Q 2009.”

Shifts this significant have permanent ramifications. We should cast aside any belief that we will return to our previous understanding of normalcy. Many people have tasted the future, and despite its challenges, they seem to like what they have seen.