Posted by Erin Templer
My sister-in-law was expecting to attend her 10-year high school reunion this summer. That is, until the other week when she found out that the event was canceled due to lack of interest.
She graduated with around 250 people, and only about 30 of them were willing to get together for the big event. Now, I know that there were probably a number of reasons the reunion was dropped, but until last weekend I’d never heard of a class canceling their 10-year reunion. I couldn’t help but wonder if social media had anything to do with it.
Think about it. Ten years ago, there was no Facebook. If you wanted to find out what happened to your old high school friends you’d lost touch with, you had to actually make a serious effort to figure it out. Now, all you have to do is “friend” them on Facebook to find out where they went to college, what they’re doing for a living, who they married and if they have kids. Depending on how much they’re willing to share on their profile, you can even look at recent pictures to find out if they gained 10 pounds since the last time you saw them.
My point is: While Facebook probably wasn’t the sole reason my sister-in-law’s reunion was canceled, it could have played a part. Why spend valuable time and money to get together with a bunch of people you wouldn’t ordinarily want to visit with when you can just as easily connect with them for free and from the convenience of your own home. Better yet, sans any awkward silences.
Facebook has a pretty big hand in shaping our culture, and that influence is growing more and more everyday. If companies, or class reunions, want to be relevant 10 years from now, I think it’s in their best interest to connect with their “friends” on Facebook now.
