Zoom meetings are just modern day seances Is there someone who wants to join William are you there We can t hear you Can you hear us
The image is a humorous juxtaposition of a traditional seance with modern-day virtual meetings using technology like Zoom. The illustration shows a group of victorian-era individuals sitting around a table, as one might expect to see during a seance intended to communicate with spirits. Their hands are joined, and they are sitting in what appears to be a solemn and expectant manner, waiting for a sign from the "other side."
At the bottom of the image, there are quotes familiar to anyone who has been on a Zoom call or similar virtual meetings: "Is there someone who wants to join?" followed by "William, are you there?" Then the common virtual meeting issue: "We can’t hear you," and finally, "Can you hear us?" These phrases mimic the kind of questions and statements that might be posed during a seance but are equally applicable to the technical difficulties often encountered in online meetings.
The humor in this image comes from the clever parallel it draws between seances and Zoom meetings. Both involve people gathering to connect with someone who isn't physically present, and in both scenarios, there can be uncertainty and difficulty in making a connection. A seance similarly relies on the uncertain participation of a spirit, and a Zoom call often deals with guests who may have trouble with their audio or video connections.
The title "Zoom meetings are just modern-day seances" drives the joke home by implying that trying to contact someone through a screen with uncertain technological issues is akin to reaching out to the ethereal realm. In both cases, participants are often staring intently, expressing hope or frustration, and trying to make sense of any received communication.
The names and specific phrases add additional layers of humor. "William, are you there?" could be a call to a spirit in the traditional sense, but in the context of a modern meeting, it's a prompt directed at a participant who's possibly struggling with the mute button or experiencing connectivity issues. This adds a layer of irony as the mediums of old "called out" to make contact, while modern individuals merely want their colleagues to unmute themselves.
This image could be especially funny to those who have experienced the tribulations of virtual teleconferencing firsthand. Remote workers, students, and anyone who's had to adapt to the online meeting culture that has blossomed particularly since the onset of widespread remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic could find this image to be a hilarious and accurate representation of their daily struggles to communicate effectively with others through digital means. The historical twist provides a sense of timelessness to our quest for connection, whether it be spiritual or virtual. Zoom meetings are just modern day seances Is there someone who wants to join William are you there We can t hear you Can you hear us
