High School Reunions — Facebook's Newest Victim?

Hugh Pickens writes "For sheer social awkwardness, it's hard to beat finally seeing those people in person that you never liked in high school but are 'friends' with on Facebook. The NY Times reports that both attendance and the number of high school reunions held have dropped in recent years — thanks, some say, to Facebook and similar sites, nobody really has to lose touch anymore. 'There was a Facebook page for my 20-year college reunion, which took place this May,' says Deborah Dietzler. 'I looked at it a couple of times and it didn't seem like anyone I knew would be there, so I lost interest.' 'Social networking has robbed us of our nostalgia,' adds Michael Fox, who attended his 20-year high school reunion in November at a bar in Larchmont, NY to see the adult version of his classmates but was disappointed to find there was little he didn't already know because of Facebook. Others say the familiarity bred by social networking enhance the high school reunion experience. 'It's enticing. It's like a little preview, seeing everyone's life online,' says Holly Goshin. 'And whether you're happy that someone is not doing as well as you or you're happy that they look amazing, you get to see it all in person. Then you can move on with your life.'"

can't blame what preceded it...

[mortonda]

I stopped going to school reunions long before facebook existed. And by stopped, I mean never went.

Re:I doubt it

[glueball]

I went to my 20th out of morbid curiosity. So did 250 of the 400 in my graduating class as well.

The best story was the two people who had not seen each other in 20 years drunkenly decided to "get nostalgic" in a closet while their respective spouses were still at the bar. Comedic interruption occurs, followed by divorces in the following weeks.

Facebook kept the story alive for all to follow and keep dignity at a minimum.

Thank you Facebook.

Re:Nostalgia is over-rated

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, nostalgia is over-rated these days, but it didn't used to be this way. I remember when nostalgia was the ideal way to think about the past. Things were so much better back then.

Re:I doubt it

[Attila Dimedici]

I discovered I was part of the in-crowd after I graduated from something one of the likable members of the in-crowd said. I went to the same college as several people I graduated with and at one point in college this guy told me something along the lines of "everyone liked you in high school". I had always thought I was unpopular because I hung out with the dweebs, dorks and nerds. Of course that was partly because I was unwilling to hurt their feelings by telling them I didn't want to hang out with them and partly because I often hung out in the computer lab.

Re:I doubt it

[sempir]

The more experienced you get in life the more human interfaces you can support. See it as if your internal algorithm improved so that not all exceptions bring you to a grinding hold. Instead you actually take pleasure in appreciating the awkwardness lying at the source of exceptions.

See...........there's another reason I don't go to them. If someone uttered that in the group I was in I'd sneak away before they figured out I didn't understand WTF they were talking about.

Re:Nostalgia is over-rated

[Hatta]

Getting a second chance to bone that cute chick from history class is anything but a waste of time. Sure, you could have sex with anyone, but she's been in your spank bank for 20 years.

Re:I doubt it

[operagost]

The Slashdot crowd makes the cast of Big Bang Theory look like a stylish clique.