Is Facebook Ruining High School Reunions?

This month will be exactly ten years since I graduated from high school. My 18-year-old self saw many things happening in ten years’ time, and in my dreams of my life ahead, my ten-year school reunion was one thing I thought would definitely happen. Dreams of walking into the sports hall a sleek and successful woman, it seems, have been thwarted by Facebook.  Never mind that my hair is still just as crazy curly or that I have not yet decided on a career path; my point is that if my old school chums want to see that, they can just add me on Facebook.

In this time of vintage fashion and retro hobbies (cupcakes and homemade knits, anyone?), it’s sad that we have allowed technology to hinder our traditions, the very things we knew we could rely on.  In fact, even if school reunions do happen, where is the fun and excitement in reconnecting and, well, for want of a better phrase: “showing off” what we’ve accomplished since those days of bad hair and too much lipgloss?  I imagine conversations would go less like “Oh my god!  You look great!  So, what are you doing these days?” and more like this:

Old School Chum – “Hey!  So, I saw on Facebook you’ve been travelling?!”

Me – “Yeah, it was really good!  I went to India!”

Old School Chum – “I saw the photos!”

Me – “Yeah, I rode an…”

Old School Chum – “…elephant!  Yeah, I saw on Facebook.”

Me – “Ah, ermm so how about you?  I saw that you’re working in HR now?”

Old School Chum – “Yes!  I started at my new company in…”

Me – “…October, yeah I saw!”

You get the gist!

I think technology is awesome.  The things we can do with a smartphone these days rival even Paula Danziger’s moving sidewalks and earrings that play music.  I just think it would be nice to keep some things, like social conventions, alive.  Oh to hell with it, I just want an excuse to don a cute outfit, smooth out my curls and sup champagne whilst talking about my favourite subject – me.

By Elin Mai Hughes

(Image via Shutterstock).