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Can we finally click TRASH on online assignments?


COVID Is Over, So Why Are Schools Still Forcing Online "Busy Work"?

Remember the good old days of the pandemic? When we baked bread we didn’t need, had Zoom meetings in pajamas, and did our best to look interested in the blank void of a muted screen? Sure, it wasn’t great, but at least it was temporary—or so we thought. Yet, here we are, years later, and somehow, pandemic-era online assignments are still haunting middle and high school students like a bad TikTok trend that just won’t die.

Let’s talk about why this is absurd.

1. Teacher-Student Interaction

Back in the day (pre-2020), teachers were these magical, real-life humans who would stand in front of a classroom and, you know, teach. They’d explain things, answer questions, and maybe even crack a joke or two. Now? Many students are lucky if they get an email saying, “Your assignment is posted on Moby.”

The role of the teacher has been downgraded to Assignment Overseer. Their job now is to make sure students submitted that “Explain photosynthesis in 500 words or less” slide deck and not much else. Forget thoughtful explanations or personal feedback. Why spend time doing that when you can just check if the box is green in the system?

2. “Busy Work” Is the New Curriculum

We all know what online assignments really are: busy work. And not the good kind, like when your parents give you chores to build “character.” No, this is mind-numbing, soul-sucking, click-through-this-endless-slide-show-and-try-not-to-fall-asleep busy work.

It’s the kind of work that teaches kids exactly one skill: how to hit “next.” Engaging lessons? Critical thinking? Nope. Just a robotic grind to answer questions the program practically spoon-feeds you. And don’t get me started on those multiple-choice quizzes where half the answers are obvious, and the other half make you wonder if you’re being trolled.

3. Technology Is Not the Savior We Thought It Was

Remember when everyone thought technology was the ultimate solution for education? Those were fun times. Turns out, slapping an iPad in front of a teenager doesn’t magically make them a genius.

Some kids don’t even have reliable Wi-Fi or a fancy laptop. Others are sharing devices with siblings, fighting over who gets to write an essay on Of Mice and Men while the other has a virtual gym class. And even when the tech works, it’s not exactly revolutionary. Watching a YouTube video about the Pythagorean theorem doesn’t compare to a teacher walking you through it step by step.

4. Social Skills? Who Needs Those?

Online assignments don’t just kill brain cells—they kill social skills too. Instead of working in groups, debating ideas, or presenting projects in front of their peers, students now spend hours staring at screens in isolation.

Sure, let’s prepare kids for the real world by teaching them to be solitary hermits who are great at typing answers but can’t hold a conversation. Genius plan! Forget teamwork, public speaking, or learning how to tolerate the kid who always eats during class discussions.

5. Missed Opportunities

When the pandemic ended, schools had a golden opportunity to rethink education. They could’ve embraced hands-on learning, creative projects, or even just, I don’t know, actual teaching. Instead, many just doubled down on the easiest solution: outsourcing learning to a computer program.

It’s like ordering pizza for dinner every night because cooking is too much effort. Sure, it works, but after a while, it’s just lazy—and no one’s happy about it.


Dear schools, COVID is over. We don’t need to cling to its worst educational practices like some kind of nostalgic safety blanket. Online assignments were a necessary evil, but now they’re just evil.

Let’s get back to what school is supposed to be: a place where students engage with real teachers, learn through meaningful interaction, and occasionally pass notes in class. Education isn’t about clicking through a slideshow or submitting answers to a faceless platform. It’s about connection, curiosity, and yes, sometimes even chaos.

So, let’s leave the pandemic habits in the past where they belong. The sourdough starters are dead. The Zoom parties have fizzled out. And it’s high time schools stop pretending online busy work is a replacement for real education.


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