Internet Connection Author: Ziyi Che
Editor: Arlene Chen
Designer: Jenn XinRui Ong
At 8:55 on a Wednesday evening, I clicked the blue join button, entered the meeting code, watched the little blue line above “Connecting…” chasing its tail, and waited. I could not remember how many times I had been through this process, for I was so used to using Zoom, using the Internet, to connect with others. However, operating Zoom, I sometimes feel like a magician, able to talk to people from various parts of the world as well as from the past and future. The Internet has seeped into every corner of people’s life through smartphones, computers, and televisions. The world shrinks to a size measured in hours due to transportation and to one measured in seconds because of the Internet. The Internet connects people to immense seas of information, and one can learn about everything that they are curious about. A day without phones will drive people crazy because the latter will be on the verge of disconnecting from the world. Most people always remember to keep their 6-inch-long best pals at their sides, from the moment that their alarm clock sets off to the last second before they close their eyes.
Class started at 9:00, but I was still looking at “Connecting…” I realized that my WiFi was on strike. I had taken its existence for granted, not realizing its contributions until the moment that it stops functioning. Being in a room with faulty Internet made me feel like a shipwreck survivor sitting on the beach of a deserted island in the middle of the sea though, in reality, I was in a bustling city. I apologized to my WiFi for not finding it helpful when I was disconnected from the world, but I secretly damned its mercurial temper and suppressed my impulse to smash my router and computer. Rolling its eyes, the WiFi accepted my sincere apology and finally displayed the blurry faces of my professors and classmates. 33
