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This sounds like a zoom nightmare.

mrsconn23mrsconn23 member
First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its First Comment
in Wedding Woes

Dear Prudence,

I have biweekly Zoom calls with my partner’s family. I also tend to feel a little awkward in conversation, which gets magnified by virtual calls. I am constantly being interrupted on these calls by other family members. Sometimes they claim that our volume is too low, but my partner swears there’s nothing wrong with our hardware. We’ve tried pulling our laptop closer to us, and it doesn’t really help. There are points where I’m practically shouting at the laptop in order to be heard. I’m feeling frustrated and ignored, and I withdraw on these calls, but then that hurts my partner, who feels that I’m not trying to be a part of the family. Abstention isn’t really an option for that reason. Should I try to talk to everyone? Are there coping strategies for before or after that you can recommend?

—Zoom, Interrupted

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Re: This sounds like a zoom nightmare.

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    banana468banana468 member
    First Answer First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
    Keep talking.  Say, "Oh we must have a connection issue.   I'll say that again."  

    Should they not get the hint then you may want to take the approach of, "Oh we seem to have a technical issue here.  We'll sign off for tonight and hope for better luck in two weeks." 


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    CharmedPamCharmedPam member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Lmao @banana468, show up as a cat and insist you’re not a cat!!!

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    mrsconn23mrsconn23 member
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its First Comment
    The cat thing will never get old. LOL 

    In all seriousness, if this person's partner is insisting on this and then not taking LW's frustration at this circus (because it is, I've been on these types of zooms) seriously...there's a partner issue. LW should not have to attend every one of these things if this is what it's causing.  There has to be a solution (zooms with fewer people, one on one with the important members of the partner's family, marco polos instead of zoom, etc) that doesn't cause this much of an issue. I kind of get where the partner is coming from, because they want their family to get to know LW and whatnot, but this much strife over this situation when there are other solutions is not being fair to LW, IMO. 
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    STARMOON44STARMOON44 member
    First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    Don’t attend! 
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    charlotte989875charlotte989875 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Headphones with a microphone. 
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    short+sassyshort+sassy member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Have flashcards with typical questions, new news, and emoticons.  Joke that, since there seems to always be a sound issue, you'll be doing some communicating with those.  Then use the flashcards with exaggerated miming expressions and actions.  The LW could be the biggest hit at the next family Zoom call.
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    MissKittyDangerMissKittyDanger member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    We have weekly fb messanger calls with M's family because his grandfather is alone and doesn't leave due to fear of pandemic.
    That's fine.

    I often don't interact, because I don't wanna yell and also I've been ignored in the past when giving suggestions.

    So I get LW's frustration
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