Social Media and Class Reunions

A few weeks ago, I got a Facebook invite to the 25th anniversary of my elementary school. The group is currently over 450 people and growing. People are posting old photos and reconnecting online.

When I first got the invite, I wondered if there really is a point to actual reunions anymore? Thanks to Facebook, I know who's married, who has kids, who got fat, who got thin, who moved away and who stayed close to home. I don't even have to show up and my curiosity is satisfied.

Maybe it's because I'm about to graduate and I'm getting all nostalgic, but I think there really is something to actually seeing everyone again, sitting down and swapping stories of old times. Social media only gives us a surface view of life, there isn't context. In my opinion, context matters and you can only get that context from actually talking to someone.

Also, there is definitely something inherently fun in reminiscing face to face. My classmates and I have spent an embarrassing amount of time this year talking about childhood TV shows and toys. None of us knew each other in childhood, but we have these shared experiences that are fun to talk about and share together. Sure, we could post videos on Facebook (and we have), but it's not the same. Watching each others eyes light up when a favourite is remembered is fantastic. I guess you could say that we can "share" on Facebook, but not experience sharing.

So, in September, I will be having fun catching up with my old friends at my reunion. You'll be able to find the photos on Facebook later.