by Christopher Dale
IS THAT REALLY A BAD THING? –
March 8, 2021 – As we pass the one-year anniversary of widespread COVID-19 lockdowns, a bright spot in an otherwise dark year has been the adaptability of Alcoholics Anonymous. As in-person gatherings shuttered seemingly overnight, the deft digital pivot to online meetings performed by dedicated AA members around the world has helped keep millions engaged, involved and most importantly sober.
As I’ve shared in this space, I see Zoom rooms as an emergency stopgap measure that should largely recede in parallel with the pandemic. As society reopens, so must in-person AA meetings. Still, Zoom rooms have introduced facets worth carrying into post-COVID life; while by no means should they become the new normal, their click-button convenience and location agnosticism make online meetings useful supplements to the IRL recovery we all knew before 2020.
