Zoom into your next relationship

How to flirt in online classes

Special IssueTalia Kliot — Published September 8, 2020 4 minutes

“[University] is a time where you should be able to explore relationships. And unfortunately, the first part of dating and meeting new people is personal contact,” explains Montreal dating coach and matchmaker Cheryl Besner.

That being said, with school being online, you’ll need to pull out all the stops if you want anyone to even consider linking up, even at two metres apart. Luckily, I’ve compiled some tips and tricks for flirting on Zoom that’ll help you step up your game.

A great way to start is by pinning your own video to ensure you look cute at all times. While it might seem a bit narcissistic to be staring at yourself during class, your appearance is the first thing people will notice about you. If you’re set up with good lighting and the perfect outfit, anyone scrolling through gallery mode will do a double take when they get to your little box.

If you’re feeling bold, you can always couple your looks with making an excellent academic point to fill the Zoom awkward silence. However, that might be hard to do if you’re checking out other people during the entire lecture.

If you have a specific person in mind, I’d highly recommend continuously winking at the camera until you get their attention. Then, they’ll ask if you have something in your eye. It’s a riveting conversation starter!

You can also do some light and tasteful social media stalking (I’m not advocating for any of that You bullshit) and find out your crush’s interests. Curate a collage compiling their fancies and set it as your green screen background. I’d be shocked if you didn’t get a private message from them.

“Get off into a private chat as quickly as you can,” advises Besner. She recommends complimenting the object of your attention about something they’ve said in class or picking up on a detail in their background. But, be warned that the host can see anything sent through the chat, regardless of who it’s intended for.

To avoid that problem completely, privately message your professor to put you two in the same breakout room, a zoom feature that allows the host to split participants into smaller groups. Could that be considered unprofessional? Possibly. But the best love stories are always unconventional.
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This article originally appeared in The Disorientation Issue, published September 8, 2020.