Zoom is now known as the popular app that blew up when Covid-19 started to skyrocket. Most schools now use this learning platform in order to stay in contact with their students to video call; however, there have been some issues with the program overall.

“Zoom bombing” by unknown people who join the Zoom calls while classes were in session quickly became a game of cat and mouse. These “bombers” have reportedly been saying racial slurs, vulgar words, and were seen showing inappropriate content in the zoom calls. Nobody really knows the reason why and how these people do it. One teacher was told her zoom link was sent out over a snapchat and people were told to join in. 

According to The New York Times, “They are jumping into public Zoom calls and using the platform’s screen-sharing feature to project graphic content to unwitting conference participants, forcing hosts to shut down their events.” This also causes schools and teachers to be more careful on the platform while their classes are in session.

Daisy Ledezma, a junior, spoke of one of her classes getting zoom bombed. “It was Thursday the second week of school, I was in my 6th period class when this random dude came into the zoom call. Nobody knew him. It seemed like the guy knew the teacher since he was cursing him out as if he knew him. He may have been one of his old students or not. On the zoom the guy also flicked the teacher off and used vulgar language,” she responded. “I think that the guy did it for fun. Also since he was laughing as if he was expecting the whole class to laugh with him but no one did. Most people were serious, angry and sad for the teacher. After he saw that no one joined him in laughing he lost his smile and snickered. After that he left the call and everybody in class was left speechless. He somehow managed to enter the zoom call, even though nobody shared links or invited him. The teacher didn’t even let him into the call. The guy must’ve hacked in order to have gotten into the call,” she added. It’s amazing how someone would go to those lengths just to interrupt a class. Overall using zoom will have its pros and cons when teaching.

The concern is that this isn’t going to stop soon. However, teachers at West and Central campus are both reporting that their zooms are not being “bombed” now that attendance issues have resolved and security measures have been tightened up. While it may be working itself out for JTHS, Zoom continues to get backlash for not being able to keep privacy and security safe, they are prioritizing it safer as each update comes out. They are hoping that the faster they complete it, the safer the app will be.