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Do you find Zoom classes boring? If so, you are not alone! Many students get bored in an online class or Zoom class, but the question is, why are Zoom classes so boring? Zoom classes are boring because students are not conditioned to focus while in their own homes, technical problems and the option to browse online create distractions, and there is limited interaction. When there are class discussions, the conversation often consists of long pauses and interruptions. Let’s further look at some of the most common reasons students get bored in online classes. 1. Technical problems One of the biggest problems with online classes is technical problems! People can’t hear you, someone’s camera isn’t working, people have a bad internet connection, or the teacher can’t get the screen share feature to work. All of these interruptions disrupt the flow of the class, which makes it easier for students to get distracted. 2. Distractions With in-person classes, students are limited in the number of distractions they have because the teacher can always see/hear them. With Zoom classes, students can mute themselves or turn off their cameras. Even if they don’t and the teacher can see them, the image of the student is relegated to a small box. Additionally, the teacher cannot see what the student does on their laptop, and notifications can pop up. This makes it extremely tempting to open a new tab and zone out. Social media, checking our email, or playing games online are huge distractions. These may seem like no big deal or even multitasking, but they severely limit your ability to focus on the lesson, and lack of engagement is what makes the class boring. 3. Lack of specific environment Students associate class with being in a classroom. Sitting in class becomes a habit. The combination of this association and habit makes it much easier for students to focus. Students associate their homes with relaxing. Additionally, when students know that their roommates, friends, or family are nearby, it can make it even harder to concentrate. This is especially true if you can see or hear them. This lack of a set learning environment makes it harder to get into the mindset of “going to class”. 4. Focus on lectures Many online classes are primarily lecture-based, which is a passive form of learning. Students are mainly expected to sit and listen to the teacher. This form of learning can make it hard for some students to absorb the information. 5. Limited interaction The increase in lecture-based classes means that students have limited interaction with the teacher and their peers. They have hardly any spontaneous communication where they can talk with friends or casually chat with the professor. This makes it harder to form connections with their teacher and peers, making it harder for them to stay engaged in the class. You can help this by making the most of the emoji feedback that Zoom allows. Check out our guide on Zoom: Reactions, Nonverbal Feedback, & Gesture Recognition to learn more about what emojis Zoom offers and how to enable them. 6. Stilted conversation The interaction that does occur in Zoom classes can be filled with awkward interruptions. Whenever a group is talking on Zoom, there are always unnaturally long pauses followed by more than one person starting to talk. It is also difficult to see people’s body language, and since non-verbal communication is a big part of communication, it is challenging to concentrate and get into a flow with the conversation. This makes an interesting group discussion more difficult. 7. Not knowing where to look Zoom can be awkward. You go back and forth between uncomfortably trying to look at the camera, feeling like you are staring at one person, or obsessively watching yourself. All of these options feel weird. This back and forth can be exhausting, and the lack of eye contact makes conversation and forming connections more difficult. To make it so that you can't see your own video (no more obsessively watching yourself), check out our post on How Do I Change the View on Zoom? (For All Different Views) 8. Cameras off The uncomfortable nature of watching yourself during class contributes to many students leaving their cameras off. Find out if a teacher can force you to turn on your camera on Zoom or if teachers can turn on your camera. A survey from Cornell University found that 90% of students leave their cameras off. This makes interaction and conversation even more difficult. Additionally, instructors are not as good of teachers when they can’t see any reaction from students and are teaching to a bunch of black boxes. To find out if it is rude to leave your camera off on Zoom, check out our post: Camera On or Off? Is It Rude Not to Show Your Face on Zoom? 9. Excessive screen time During Zoom classes, students have to look at a screen for an extended period of time, and this can cause digital eye strain. One way to help with eye strain is to use blue light blocking glasses when looking at a screen. Excessive screen time can also make us zone out the same way we would when staring at a TV screen or watching Netflix on our laptops, or even start to doze off. Now that you know why Zoom classes are boring, check out: 14 Steps Before Class to Make Zoom Classes Go by FasterHow to Get Through a Boring Online Class (While Paying Attention!)How to Make Online School Not Boring: 20 Things to Do After Class