Here’s the Zoom-fatigued person’s guide to connecting virtually on Thanksgiving. https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/11/24/1012595/zoom-thanksgiving-fatigue-how-to-connect/?utm_medium=tr_social&utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1606332112

Before we begin, we should acknowledge that Zoom fatigue is very real.

After eight months (and counting) of this pandemic, signing on to a Zoom might signal “work mode” to our brains, which can be anxiety-inducing and not at all what the doctor ordered for Thanksgiving.

So with that in mind, here are some ideas for making the best of Thanksgiving—and the rest of the end-of-year holidays—at a distance.

Animal Crossing. Roblox. Among Us. Video games have emerged as a social media platform and gathering space of their own during the pandemic.

If you’d rather not play a game, there are co-watching apps.

And if you're fed up with screens, consider voice games.

One size doesn’t fit all. Families should use multiple mediums over the course of the holidays to connect with each other, says @DrLisaMBrown, a director of the trauma program and Risk and Resilience Research Lab at Palo Alto University.

Navigating the internet can be especially frustrating for some older adults without help or the proper infrastructure. And having a new technology introduced right before a holiday gathering can be stressful.

Nostalgia could have some unintended consequences this year in particular. Some families are grieving the dead, while others may be adjusting to the crisis’s long-term effects.

Now if you *must* Zoom...

1. Get the technical glitches and hiccups out of the way.

*If possible or needed, a pre-Zoom meeting checkup with the less technically incline.

2. Think about how to make the conversation flow.

Move beyond the usual “How are you?” and “How’s the weather?” space fillers and do a group activity. But don’t try to do too much in a single call.

3. Set up a question or two up for each household to answer that evokes more than a yes or no answer.

But steer clear of topics you avoid in real life (Politics in 2020? Nope), and be sensitive to people who are alone, struggling, or experiencing a particularly difficult year.

4. And finally, this is the year to adapt your traditions.

Instead of defaulting to a virtual re-creation of your family’s normal Thanksgiving dinner, maybe try asking what others might find fulfilling or fun.

Oh, one last thing: this is also the time to remember that it’s okay to log off and have some time to yourself. It is the holidays, after all.

The original story this thread was adapted from was reported and written by @tanyabasu and @abbyohlheiser. It's full of more helpful tips for keeping the stress to a minimum this year: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/11/24/1012595/zoom-thanksgiving-fatigue-how-to-connect/?utm_medium=tr_social&utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1606332250

Happy Thanksgiving!