by JO ABI
Has Facebook removed the need for high school reunions?
My 20 year high school reunion is on next year but I don’t see the point of going. I’m ‘friends’ with most of the people I went to school with on Facebook already. We know everything about each other’s lives and we have even formed a ‘group’ so we can find each other easily.
High school reunions can be awkward and unpleasant. I’ve heard that some are great but most recently when asking my friends how their reunions went I heard they were poorly attended, awkward (especially if you aren’t married with children) and not a lot of fun at all.
To me, high school reunions set up a series of potential broken promises – let’s have dinner, let’s keep in touch this time… I’ve already failed to keep in touch with most of my friends from school. We try to catch up but we’re all so busy. There are only so many hours in the day.
The great thing about using Facebook to check in with high school friends is that you only have to answer the questions you want to answer (Are you married? Do you have kids? Where do you live? What do you do?). Nobody can see how much you weigh (or don’t weight, to those who are miraculously skinnier than in high school). It’s perfectly convenient and delightfully devoid of stilted conversations.
I bumped into a school friend at the shops recently. I was so happy to see her. We were best friends in high school I shrieked, hugged her and railroaded her into having coffee. She seemed reluctant. It was awkward. As always, whenever there are silences in conversations, I filled in the blanks a little too loudly, making silly comments and asking inappropriate questions. She didn’t give me much encouragement. But still, I persevered. We used to be so close!
Coffee ended and I asked her for her number. She said her phone was broken. I told her to give me her number anyway so I could contact her when her phone was fixed. She gave it to me. I tried to call. It was a wrong number. She fake-numbered me!
To me high school reunions are dying a slow death. I’m happy with my Facebook virtual high school reunion.
To the class of 1993!
Do you go to your high school reunions?
Top Comments
Well there is a social site out there that helps plan out reunions called Alumniclass.com.
I don't actually see the point in a reunion. People who you want to stay in touch with, you will- those that you don't, you won't (if you wanted to be mates you connect through facebook). To me, the whole idea behind it reeks of showing off what you have achieved and laughing at the people who have put on weight, gone grey or lost all of their hair.