Zoom Just Made It Even Easier To Have A Virtual Thanksgiving

With each passing day, our outlook for a safe and happy Thanksgiving get-together becomes bleaker and bleaker. According to The New York Times, the number of those infected with COVID-19 continues to skyrocket, and plans to have a big holiday celebration seem increasingly tenuous. According to the CDC, the best way to celebrate turkey day this year requires the least amount of effort from your end: virtually joining the family for a long-distance celebration. This recommendation couldn't come sooner — according to Fox, 56 percent of Americans still plan on travelling to attend holiday celebrations, and unless these numbers get curbed quick, we can expect to see a jump in cases nationwide as a result.

If you haven't experienced enough Zoom fatigue by now, get ready for more and potentially including the virtual-meeting platform in your holiday plans for a fun, minimal-effort Thanksgiving. In order to promote distanced holiday plans, Zoom plans to waive its 40-minute time limit for all meetings globally this coming Thanksgiving, so you can have a massive family gathering all from the comfort of your couch (via Delish).

Whether you plan on having intimate festivities or a big family get-together, Zoom has all the bases covered. According to Delish, the meeting platform intends to lift the 40-minute limit on midnight EST on November 26 and reinstate it on November 27 at 6:00 AM EST, giving you potentially 30 uninterrupted hours of holiday streaming with the family. Those of us who live outside the US can also get in on the deal and attend the events, as long as they fall in the hours listed above.

While the jump to an online Thanksgiving seems flawless from a health perspective, anticipate some road bumps along the way. According to The New York Times, internet speeds have noticeably slowed as a result of many more people using broadband and Wi-Fi services in lieu of in-person meetings due to the pandemic. If you imagine how many people plan to use the internet to join their family's Thanksgiving gathering, you can imagine the slowdowns we might have to face. Factor in family members who have a lower computer literacy, and we could be in for a frustrating holiday. All things considered, Zoom plans to spread the holiday cheer this year and help keep us safe when we need to be extra vigilant to ensure a safe and happy Thanksgiving for everyone involved.