Conversations in quarantine: the rise of Zoom, Houseparty and the group video call

For many millennials, messaging, sending memes and ‘liking’ posts has made the need to speak on the phone redundant. Yet, living through a pandemic in the digital age has caused many of us to reconsider our relationship to technology. Those who thought we left video chatting apps behind in 2009—when we used them to Skype friends after returning home from school, or let’s admit it, to peep into the bedrooms on Chatroulette—are mistaken. In a time where we need each other more than ever, people are rediscovering the benefits of hearing and seeing their loved ones in a group call.

This weekend, many countries across Europe, following in the footsteps of Italy and other areas with high coronavirus infection rates, imposed a “lockdown” on citizens  (notably the UK—it’s government ordered citizens to stay at home until 13 April). Outdoor excursions were limited, indoor social gatherings banned, pubs, bars and restaurants closed. It seemed as if many people’s most beloved activities were going to bite the dust too. But, then, out from the ashes came the unsuspected saviour: the video call.

“I’ve been video calling friends, colleagues and family all week,” says Hope, a 24-year-old Londoner working in production. She’s not alone. Until about a few weeks ago, joining a video call with more than one other person was pretty much reserved to the boardroom. Yet, at the time of writing, both Android and Apple app charts show trendy video calling apps Zoom and Houseparty in the top ten most downloaded. According to Google Trends, searches for both “Zoom” and “Houseparty app” are the highest they’ve ever been in the US and the UK in the last week.

But is there more to the trend other than the fact that we can’t see our loved ones in IRL?  “I think the current situation is bringing people closer—virtually at least,” explains Sarah from Morocco, a frequent user of Google Hangouts and the aforementioned app Houseparty.  In a time of crisis and surreal new circumstances, we are relying on friends and family for support, to share knowledge, solace, comfort, laughter and a distraction from the debilitating realities of social isolation.

Just when you thought those early evening drinks, Aries’ birthday parties and weekend dinners with friends were going to grind to a halt, the group video call enables a wealth of relationships to prosper. “I’ve been able to speak to my best friends, who are living in different countries all at the same time,” says Cecilia, an artist based in London. “It’s a rare chance to have everyone together and these group chats mean we can be together despite the distance, and for free.”

Alongside reigniting long-distance relationships, the popularity of video chat apps has led to the adoption of new social rituals, including “virtual happy hours” and co-Netflix watching. Smule, another video app allows users to sing along to their favourite karaoke songs. “On Zoom, you can put on a green screen effect so it looks like you’re at the beach. Or, my personal fave: the Northern Lights,” says Berlin-based Miranda. Such new quirks bring the traditional video chat into the 21st century.

But the real beauty of the group video chat lies in its alignment with the very modern desire to be both absent and present through technology. While that little green light is on, you can check your Whatsapp notifications, make dinner, or finish up your day’s work without anyone in the tiles laid out on your group call so much as batting an eyelid. It’s perfectly suited to those of us with low attention spans living in an ecosystem where our eyes are always on several screens at once. By contrast, a traditional phone call can be anxiety-inducing. There’s  no time to curate a perfect response: they happen in real time and what you say cannot be unsaid.

But, as leaders across the globe advise people to stay home in an unparalleled bid to contain the virus, the opportunity to hang out and socialise with friends has migrated from the physical world to the digital. During times of social distancing, joining a video call with friends, as thousands of people are now rediscovering, can foster real intimacy.