Has Social Media Rendered the High School Reunion Obsolete?

Back in the day, high school reunions used to be events with a sense of curious anticipation. There were so many unanswered questions revealed on that night.

Did those mean popular girls achieve anything or have they ended up living in a trailer park with three children and a pending divorce? Is the cute guy you used to have a crush on still as gorgeous as you remember? Did that geeky guy who sat behind you in math class eventually start his own company and end up making more money than anyone else? Did the cute couple who were joined at the hip at prom end up getting married and living happily ever after?

However, these days there is no need to drive back to your hometown and attend your high school reunion in order to discover the answers to these questions. A quick Google search for the Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn profile of anyone in your school will reveal everything about them that you might want to know, including their profession, marital status, number of children, and current city.

There is no need to wonder what your old schoolmates are doing now, when you can see Instagram photos of what they had for breakfast and check out the songs that they are listening to on Spotify.

The high school reunion used be to about a magical opportunity for reinvention or second chances – an event where you can surprise everyone with how far you have come and discover all of the fascinating and varied ways that people have chosen to spend their 10 years. However, these days everyone knows what you have been up to in full detail and there is no room for surprises. It used to be that you would walk through the door completely blind and not knowing what to expect, but that suspense and surprise is now gone.

According to the New York Times, the number of high school reunions held in recent years has been on the decline. This could be due to the recession but it is also likely because the curiosity that is needed to motivate people to attend is no longer there.

The Benefits of Social Media — Staying Connected Over the Years

Although social media networks have ruined the surprise when it comes to high school reunions, they do have a lot of benefits when it comes to staying connected with old friends. These days if you want to have a chat with someone you remember from your high school days, you don’t have to wait 10 years to see them again. You can touch base and share nostalgia, enjoying your common bond and keeping the feeling of familiarity there.

You can keep in touch with the people who you share a common origin with, tracking where they end up and what they do. Commenting on their photos, retweeting their links and giving them recommendations on LinkedIn can keep these acquaintances going strong for many years.

About the Author: Kaycee Bondy is a party planner and social media guru. She uses Mylife as part of her social media toolbox.