Like millions of people, I spent last Thursday and Friday on the couch watching the NFL draft.

While I love football, I usually feel like watching the draft is a waste of time. It has a lot to do with the nonstop coverage the event gets from February to April.

But with live sports on hold for the past seven-plus weeks, I was willing to watch just about anything.

This year’s draft was unique because COVID-19 kept the players and coaches from traveling to Las Vegas, where it was supposed to take place.

Instead, ESPN had cameras set up in the players’ and coaches’ homes. You got to see families cheering, hugging and dancing when their player got picked. You got to see coaches sharing the spotlight with their kids as they picked from home offices. And you even got to see a human side of one of the grumpiest people in sports, Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

Even Belichick had a camera, but when it came time to pick, his husky was sitting in his chair. A few minutes later, they played a shot of Belichick rewarding the dog with a treat and, unbelievably, even cracking a smile.

Video conferencing has kept us all a lot closer over the past two months. Companies, schools, families and friends have all taken their gatherings online as we are forced to stay apart to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Video phones used to be something that we only saw in sci-fi movies. It’s funny looking back at movies from the ’80s, like “Blade Runner” or “Aliens.” They still look futuristic, but they could only use ’80s technology, so the video phones look like an old TV.

While we aren’t exploring the universe or producing robots who look like people, we definitely surpassed the expectations of sci-fi writers when it came to video calling.

It’s been tough being unable to see friends and family during this time. But we are lucky to live in a time when we can connect online, face to face.

I’ve already covered school board meetings held online. Some have been just as productive as they were held in person.

On weekends, I can get on a virtual happy hour with friends from college. It’s easier and cheaper than going to a bar.

My family had to cancel their Easter plans, but that Sunday, we all gathered on Zoom and had a chance to catch up despite being located in different states.

Even my grandmother, who lived through the Depression and World War II, is using FaceTime to stay in touch with her grandchildren.

We still have a lot to learn about chat etiquette. While having a drink on Zoom is encouraged, having something to eat involves more finesse. You don’t want to give the others on the video call a close-up view of you munching on your dinner.

We’ve learned that there is a time and a place for a novelty background, and it is not during a work meeting.

We’ve learned that while you are in your home, the same consequences apply when you say something in public. “Back to the Future Part II” predicted that in the future, bosses would fire employees via video chat. That prediction came true for a NASCAR driver who lost his real life ride because of something he said on a virtual race.

The social distancing measures will come to an end. Students will someday be able to return to classes - though I feel for the Class of 2020 who have lost out on being able to share some unforgettable moments with their friends and classmates.

I look forward to being able to have events in person with family, going to the bar with old friends, and watching real sports, not just the NFL Draft.

But surely the way we interact with each other has been changed permanently by this technology. And while the virus has kept us apart, in some ways it allowed us to stay more connected than ever.