It’s hard to believe that it’s already been five years since the global pandemic. I was working full time and had just finished registering for courses for the Winter semester when we were suddenly told that everything was coming to a full stop. I was living alone at the time, and being forced to isolate took its toll on me mentally and emotionally. Classes were postponed, people were being sent back to their home countries if they were visiting—it felt almost like a scene out of a movie. Eventually, it was announced that courses would continue online, and that’s when I was introduced to Zoom. It’s not like I was unfamiliar with video chats—I had used FaceTime and Skype before to connect with family and friends—but using them for full-time learning was completely different. During this period, the use of web-based meeting platforms was skyrocketing, as shown in the chart on the next page. However, in this new setting where I was required to focus and absorb large amounts of information, it became an enormous barrier for me.

My Story

Download and Usage of Communication Platforms During Covid 19

Technology and Our Society. (2025)

How It Impacted Me

I’ve always had an extroverted personality and thrive off being in the presence of others. I learn best when I can interact directly with instructors and classmates. This was no longer possible. Combined with my ADHD, this new format made it even harder for me to learn and apply course materials. There were simply too many distractions and too little structure. As Sir Ken Robinson once said, “Our children are living in the most intensely stimulating period in the history of the Earth. They’re being besieged with information and pulled at their attention from every platform.” (2010). That statement reflected exactly how I felt—overwhelmed and unsupported.