I graduated high school in 2013, approximately ten years ago. As I reflect on my journey ten years removed from high school, the topic of a reunion has been on my mind. I thoroughly enjoyed high school. It started a little rocky for me, as I am sure it does for anyone, but by my sophomore year, I felt confident and was excited to go to school each morning. After high school, I went away to college twice; I’ve lived in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles in my adulthood years and have wondered how some of my classmates are doing. A reunion of some sort this summer would be fun, but does anyone else feel this way? 

High school reunions used to be a unique opportunity for former classmates to reconnect and reminisce about the good old days. Still, with the advent of social media, these rituals may slowly fade away. Social media platforms provide individuals with an easy way to stay connected to their high school friends and acquaintances, negating the need for physical reunions. With updates from friends, photos from events, and even contact information readily available on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites, staying on top of the latest and greatest news from high school years has never been more accessible.

For those planning high school reunions, competing with social media’s convenience and immediacy can be challenging. What used to require months of planning, coordinating, and organizing can now be achieved quickly online and with much less effort. People don’t want to commit to a reunion if they already have access to all their former classmates’ newsfeed updates.

Social media also creates a digital forum for reminiscing, encouraging former classmates to share photos and stories from their school days rather than just relying on a physical gathering. Alums can not only have virtual conversations and post updates, but they can also reach out to friends and former classmates they haven’t heard from in years. Social media provides an easy way to catch up, get nostalgic, and actually “go back” in time without leaving home, but I want to connect physically.

I want to listen to old music and dance with my classmates. I want selfies; I want to share toasts and give hugs. I know I can’t be alone in my desire to want a high school reunion. I look forward to advocating for a reunion at my high school and reliving some of my teenage moments with former classmates. Social media has done an excellent job of keeping us abreast of what everyone is doing, but nothing beats those moments in person, looking into someone’s eyes and truly seeing how they’re doing. I hope to have some of those reunion moments in 2023.