Creating online connections with others

By: Trissean McDonald

Let’s face it. We can’t ignore that virtual connection is the new norm and that the COVID-19 pandemic gave birth to a new way of living. Many people had to find ways to readjust to a dire crisis that could have been preventable. And the internet increased in globalization in the sense of mutual international communication. 

Zoom has become a worldwide name. Agencies, institutions, organizations, and even companies have adapted to the idea of connecting virtually. However, mental and physical wellness is important because having to attend multiple virtual meetings throughout the day can grow a person fatigued, and communication may not get disseminated properly. 

According to Forbes, “Zoom fatigue” exists and is caused by cognitive video demands. The thing is, it’s not only in the sense of screen time. If alive, Nobel Prize winner George Bernard Shaw would describe it as an illusion of communicating with others. In other words, virtual meetings do not necessarily give you an intimate connection with those you’re aiming to influence potentially. In essence, some relationships go into shambles, and it must take a loss, whether for a business or interpersonal.

CSUN senior, Varazdat Atanakinian, currently stays in Egypt. He mentions how online connections with former classmates began to fade away until the relationship died because there is no in-person interaction. He also mentions how some experienced mental instability because of having to create new relationships with people virtually.

“I definitely lost some relationships,” Atanakinian said. “My ex-classmates. Obviously, you never see them. You never talk in person. Some of them just disappeared, whereas some have suffered some mental difficulties. It’s really hard,” he explained.

According to Juliet Funt, people in communications are encouraged to become bilingual when it comes to in-person and virtual meetings. Communicating virtually creates a pathway to intentionality (setting meetings, turning on the camera, eye contact, etc.). Many people in communications and worldwide are developing skills and habits to make virtual encounters seem more in-person. 

Funt presents us with a model known as the three levels of C-B-A presentations to balance out virtual meetings so they are not draining and to seem more intimate. Level C is conversation; Funt suggests that the camera should remain off if you’re chatting with friends or engaging in any mutual communication with your team. Having the camera on in Level C exhausts everyone involved and is highly discouraging. 

Level B is building new relationships, and the camera is turned on. Also, there is a sense of thoughtfulness in the background, lighting, scripting, and preparation for a first impression. In essence, people in communications are marketing themselves to the person they're influencing potentially. 

Perhaps the most important level of virtual communication is level A, according to Funt. Pitching a big idea, meeting a dream client, or applying for a job are all high stake presentations. Therefore, it is imperative to be prompt, clean, and professional by all means necessary. The three models only serve as  suggested guides for creating online connections with either a person from your team or clients. However, there are still some individuals who prefer traditional in-person relations versus virtual.