The article is paywalled, but as a Gen Z who just did a remote summer internship, I have to say that I did not find it difficult to make meaningful connections to my team.
I've found major advantages to remote internships. For one, the pay has been much better for me, as I'm able to consider a much larger variety of roles. Additionally, I've found a better team than I could have locally. I've found a high-performing team composed of individuals across the country. I've found that limiting interaction to the people near my dreary Midwest hometown would needlessly cut off potential connections with skilled developers. Finally, not having a commute has been fantastic.
There are disadvantages, however. During my summer internship, my entire life happened at a desk in my bedroom, and I did experience noticeable weight gain from lack of exercise. However, I largely attribute this to living in car-centric suburbia, and I'm not convinced driving to the office every day would have improved my health. I think that living in an urban environment with a walkable office would be the best encouragement for natural exercise.
I can see how meetings without cameras could feel alienating, but my team is pretty comfortable with webcams, and I feel like I still had a lot of face time.
In conclusion, I had a great experience with remote internships, I made strong connections, and I'll be happy to accept my return offer, working remotely.
I've found major advantages to remote internships. For one, the pay has been much better for me, as I'm able to consider a much larger variety of roles. Additionally, I've found a better team than I could have locally. I've found a high-performing team composed of individuals across the country. I've found that limiting interaction to the people near my dreary Midwest hometown would needlessly cut off potential connections with skilled developers. Finally, not having a commute has been fantastic.
There are disadvantages, however. During my summer internship, my entire life happened at a desk in my bedroom, and I did experience noticeable weight gain from lack of exercise. However, I largely attribute this to living in car-centric suburbia, and I'm not convinced driving to the office every day would have improved my health. I think that living in an urban environment with a walkable office would be the best encouragement for natural exercise.
I can see how meetings without cameras could feel alienating, but my team is pretty comfortable with webcams, and I feel like I still had a lot of face time.
In conclusion, I had a great experience with remote internships, I made strong connections, and I'll be happy to accept my return offer, working remotely.