I don’t like LDR. Or I just can’t imagine myself not being physically present or connected with the person I love. I guess that’s my weakness or just my choice. That’s why I really admire people especially couples who are strong to make LDR work. And it really works for them.

No, I will not talk about LDR (in pure romantic sense) here. This is about what makes LDR somehow bearable in our techie world, that is…Videocall.

It’s said that video calling has been around since the early 1900s. But only in the year 2000s to 2010s that it became more popular and even mostly used these days. Remember 2020, the year when we use an “old” technology as if it is new. Not that we haven’t seen its importance but because it’s more valuable to us now.

Here are some ways how videocall makes “LDR” (with our work(mates), class(mates), friends and dates) possible.

1. Work meetings

Group videocall or video conference in a more formal term, is not new to people working in multinational companies. Work meetings with attendees located in different countries do video conference mainly to save travel cost and time, especially if the number of attendees is high. With reliable devices and strong internet connection, we’re able to mimic the actual scenario inside a meeting room, except for the free coffee/foods and gossiping parts of course. We may need to schedule another “much needed” videocall session for it 😁.

Now, local companies whether big or small are forced to utilize video calling apps, be it their own or free for public use. Some are prepared, some are not, but all are making the most of what’s available.

2. “Zoomba” Sessions

I “lold” (laughed out loud) when my friend told us why she’s in a hurry to leave our videocall. She had a scheduled Zumba session with her friends and she didn’t want to be late. I laughed not to bully her (well partly because we’re friends), but because I was surprised and happy for these reasons:

• She finally decided to be fit and healthy
• She can dance (well, we haven’t seen it)
• She’s punctual now 😂

She can just watch and follow a video on Youtube. But they choose to ”Zoomba” via videocall, for it’s more fun and engaging.

3. Home Schooling

Rich kid. This was my idea of kids who were home-schooled or I thought their parents were strict. Having parent friends who prefer home schooling for their children, I was enlightened of some of its good reasons — provides more focus and quality in teaching, a safer learning environment free from bullying and an unconventional, unrestrictive way of learning.

Some parents can afford hiring a tutor but most of them do it on their own with the aid of home school curriculum and materials which are free and available online. It’s hard. But it works (with quality time, dedication and a good perspective).

Still, it’s uncommon but could be one of the new norms. Even schools are considering bringing the classroom to our homes via live streaming or “group videocall”. Hope free/cheap internet connection is also one of the new norms, so schooling can reach even the “farthest” of homes.

4. Bible Study

Or GS (Group Sharing), LG (Life Group) or SG (Small Group) were usually held on church rooms, coffee shops, closed-door restaurants or even in fast-food resto and convenience stores (I was actually surprised when I saw a group of students in 7–11).

Even before this lockdown, people take time to meet and share about God and life because they feel their need for the relief, strength and freedom they can get from their life group. They also feel others’ need for support.

What more now that we are fighting an invisible enemy, may be feeling stressed out, paranoid, worried or deprived. Not all of us are at home with our families. Some are alone in their dorms, condos or apartments. That’s why it’s relieving that we can still talk to our small groups through videocall. The attendance is even higher and for others the attendees include even the high-profile people (talking about the Prayer & Bible Study held by National Bible Day Philippines Board of Trustees and Friends that was attended by some of our government leaders)🙏.

5. Virtual Selling

Salespeople are usually mobile. They meet us up in a place and time more convenient to us. They say that face to face selling is still more effective to build a personal relationship and convince a potential customer to buy. That’s why salespeople in malls especially in department stores keep following us (kidding or may be not).

Most of us can’t go out these days. Lucky for those who have regular work and still get paid to work from home but how about those who are ‘no work, no pay’, ’daily earners’ or commission-based workers?

For salespeople like my sister who sells Usana products and my friends who are insurance agents (this is not an advertisement 😉), they still manage to sell products at home, again, by videocall. I see it works because they make it work.

My idea is limited to these products but there are other products that may be worth trying (than nothing) for people who are willing.

6. Online Dating

Last but not the least. It’s actually one of my favorites (I may be sarcastic). As an old-fashioned, semi-conservative person I claimed to be, I still prefer the traditional way of courting/dating. I once told someone, “What is courting when we only say our admirations thru texting?”. “What is dating when most of the time we only see each other thru video calling?”. Aren’t we supposed to be physically together, say good words with our eyes fixed to each other or see every expression we make while we get to know one another?

Online dating has dozens of success stories. It’s good to start a conversation and slowly build a connection but to make it work, 2-way connection is necessary. It should be consistent, not intermittent (and so should our internet be).

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These are just few ways on how videocall suddenly became usual part of our current lives. We thought our lives will be on full stop since we are locked up and can’t go out. But people are resourceful and the technology we need has been with us. We just need to use it wisely and responsibly to stay connected. Hmm. I’m getting used to video calling I might give LDR or online dating a second thought 😏…