Yes, It’s OK to Wave at the End of a Zoom Call

For all the ways we communicate, there are different ways to greet people, and different ways to say goodbye. These social norms evolve over time. By now we’re comfortable saying “bye” to someone at the end of a phone call. But newer technologies can still leave us feeling awkward at the transition.

For example, video calls. The farewell question really comes down to one issue: Am I a dork for waving goodbye?

Because, really, why do we wave? We don’t wave goodbye after an in-person team meeting in a conference room. We don’t have the urge to wave goodbye after a phone call. So maybe we should stop waving when we’re done with a video interaction.

Here’s the Tech Etiquette ruling on this burning question: Waving is fine. No need to stop.

We wave because it is natural. It’s the ingrained farewell we use after an intimate connection recedes into the distance. When someone drives away in a car, trots away on horseback, or yells goodbye from the railing of an ocean liner — we wave.

It’s the same at the end of a video call. The people we have been right up close to are now moving away. Waving is what we do in that circumstance.

Let your natural instincts do their thing. Wave. Don’t feel weird about it. It’s a nice way to cap off a call when you’re signing off, and looking around franticly for the End Call button.

Next time on Caller Calls Back: How to sign an email.