During Pandemic, Alcoholics Anonymous Faces Challenges Online

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), forced by the COVID-19 pandemic to move meetings online, is facing a number of challenges in addressing the needs of members, The Washington Post reports.

Hosts are now adding passwords to meetings to prevent “Zoom bombing,” which can make it more difficult for some people to join. AA members say they miss personal interaction in meetings, including hugging and holding hands. They note people may have difficulty finding a meeting, or may feel uncomfortable joining a Zoom call where most of the participants already know one another.

For someone new to AA, joining a Zoom call is more passive than going to a meeting, said Keith Humphreys, a psychiatry professor at Stanford University. “You can get away with hanging back on the internet in a way you can’t when you’re sitting in a room,” he said. “You can put your name up on the screen, not put your picture up, and have a beer.”