Virtual Courtesy — How to engage online without being perfectly visible, by Ruth Oji

Imagine sitting in on a virtual meeting where twelve people had their cameras off. The presenter kept asking questions into what felt like a void. No one responded. No reactions. No acknowledgment. Just silence. Then someone typed “??” – a thumbs-up  emoji – in the chat. That single emoji changed the entire energy of the room. Suddenly the presenter knew someone was listening. Others started reacting too. The meeting became a conversation instead of a monologue into darkness.
From watching hundreds of virtual meetings, online classes, and group chats over the past few years I’ve noticed that engagement doesn’t require being perfectly visible or always on camera. It requires intentional,...