Did Facebook kill the class reunion?

[Pigeon]

One can only hope.

 

[Granny square]

I enjoyed my 25th. Before that I had no desire to attend. I too, found that I enjoyed far more people.

 

[powellrj]

We had our 35th last year and facebook helped us. We were able to find people we hadn't seen since HS through facebook.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

My 20th was last year. It was planned through FB. There were about 260 of us in our class and about half that are currently on FB and were added to the "group." However, hardly anyone posted and the reunion planner later posted that only about 20 people showed up.

For me...I couldn't afford $50 per person for 5 hours of hors d'oeuvres and dancing at a country club
(cash bar on top of that $50...).

Now that I think about it, I think what may have killed it is that our class is VERY spread out. Not only across the USA, but many people have relocated overseas. The planner scheduled it for the Friday after Thanksgiving, thinking that many people would be back in town for the holiday, but their families have also moved away. Nobody has any reason to come back.

 

[tvguy]

OP here! This ^ is the current problem. The latest update was so far only less than a third who attended the previous 10 year reunion have actually committed so far and the rest seem to have decided that hey, i'm cool with catching up via facebook so. Right now they are going to keep the "poll" up through Friday and will decide if they will either just extend the deadline and/or scale it back to just an evening banquet a/k/a a prom re-do. BTW somebody suggested lets just "Skype the dang thing" lol!

Our 35th reunion was the largest of 6 reunions we've had because of Facebook, however I do have to wonder if it makes a difference what your age is. My kids insist that nobody under the age of 35 uses Facebook anymore, that's for mom and dad and Grandpa and Grandma, everyone under 35 uses Twitter now. Sort of like how folks transitioned from MySpace to Facebook.

 

[SAHDad]

Facebook did not kill my class reunion. A total lack of interest killed the 10th, and the 20th was cancelled because they decided to start everything at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon in October, and everything would be done by 3 pm the next day.

Because everyone still lives in town, right? Well, all the important people (ie, the ones organizing it) do, at any rate.

I'm not hard to find on FB. I use my real name, and, AFAIK, my contact information is still current. (My high school still manages to find me a couple of times a year in order to hit me up for money.) But the FB group is only about 50% of the graduating class, if that - and no one seems to be looking for the missing people (like me).

It's not just my class. Back when my sister was coming up on her 10th, the people in charge sent out an email saking "Where are they now?" Sister looked up most of them over the course of a day or so, confirmed that it was correct, and sent it off. A month or so later, the same "Where are they now?" email went out, looking for the same people that my sister had helped locate. IIRC, she did not attend her reunion.

 

[bdcp]

If anything it makes it easier to find everyone. My 10 year HS reunion over 20 years ago (my friend and I planned it) took us months to find the people we did. We found about half our class through phone calls and ads in the paper and on local cable access. My oldest DS just had his 10th HS reunion and they planned and contacted everyone through FB. A lot less stressful and not time consuming at all.

 

[bdcp]

Our 35th reunion was the largest of 6 reunions we've had because of Facebook, however I do have to wonder if it makes a difference what your age is. My kids insist that nobody under the age of 35 uses Facebook anymore, that's for mom and dad and Grandpa and Grandma, everyone under 35 uses Twitter now. Sort of like how folks transitioned from MySpace to Facebook.

Not true at all. My boys (26 and 29) and all their friends use FB. Also, my nieces, nephews, friends HS and college age kids all use it too. Some twitter, but honestly I hate twitter and don't have an account, but then only one of my sons does and he's less than thrilled with it.

 

[burnurcomputer]

Facebook killed our 15 year with a big fat knife and I couldn't be happier. I can "see" who I care to and don't have to spend $ to "hang out" with people that I don't care too. We hadn't had any other reunions before this one and I don't feel the loss. Some people paid $100 a couple for a cash bar and a d.j with a buffet meal. They had less then 25 poeple go.

 

[descovy]

Yes, and Thank Gawd!

I graduated in '94 with 7 people in my graduating class (small town) Our reunion banquets are combined with other "anniversaries"

So the Class of '94 goes to a banquet with the class of '84 and the class of '04. Ugh... I have nothing in common with people 10 years older or 10 years younger than me. That big of a gap, and I probably don't even know their big brother or little sister.

So Facebook is awesome in that regard. I keep in contact with friends from '94, as well as '92, '93, '95, '96. These are the people I would want to see... not the folks from '84.

 

[DeaverTex]

I don't think FB kills class reunions. I think that lack of interest kills class reunions. That, and the assumption made by all too many reunion planners that everyone will want to clear their calendars and drop a chunk of change to hang out with people they didn't know then and don't know now. Many of whom they didn't have a pleasant relationship with. (Yes, I ended a sentence with a preposition.) If you weren't part of the in crowd when you were in school, you won't be now either.

 

[tvguy]

Not true at all. My boys (26 and 29) and all their friends use FB. Also, my nieces, nephews, friends HS and college age kids all use it too. Some twitter, but honestly I hate twitter and don't have an account, but then only one of my sons does and he's less than thrilled with it.

Well, they're behind the times then. Media invaded FB to reach people now it's all Twitter because that's where the people are at.

 

[Robbi]

In some areas money is really tight, people might feel that if they can catch up with FB, why spend the money? It didn't hurt ours though.

 

[bdcp]

Well, they're behind the times then. Media invaded FB to reach people now it's all Twitter because that's where the people are at.

I guess you're the "expert"

 

[ebtbmom]

If so, this is one Facebook casuality that I will not mourn.

 

[DonaldDuck80]

Facebook was the reason I even knew ANYTHING about my class reunion.

 

[Fire14]

Facebook was the reason I even knew ANYTHING about my class reunion.

Same with me. I found out about reunion via FB and reconnected with People I was casual friends with in HS. I was extremely shy and had a rough time during those years. I went but I was going to be in area anyway, 20th was our first reunion and I was kinda curious to see where some folks ended up.

Dh has reunited with classmates thru FB and been to a few of his reunions. WE still live fairly close to his HS and he "knows half of town".

 

[tvguy]

I guess you're the "expert"

Just spewing what the research shows.

 

[Nancy]

Well, they're behind the times then. Media invaded FB to reach people now it's all Twitter because that's where the people are at.

really?? I'll be sure to tell my 3 kids aged 20-25 that. Their whole group of friends must really be behind the times. Hmmmm..maybe Columbus and OSU are just backwards. My kids do not have Twitter accounts and from what they tell me their friends don't either. I commented how I signed up for Twitter and they looked at me like I was nuts and basically told me that they just can't be bothered with it and it's stupid.


As for the OP...my highschool just had a huge all years reunion since it was the 50th anniversary of the school opening. Facebook helped spread the word and yes people came from all over. I still live local but couldn't go due to my daughter graduating college that weekend (out of town)..but people from my class flew in from other states and I loved catching up on all the pictures that were posted on our school's facebook page

 

[Samandmom]

I don't need Facebook for a high school reunion. I have no desire to go to one anyways but my own family get togethers are HS reunions. . A not so nice "girl" I went to HS with married my just turned 25 year old nephew. We graduated 20 years ago this year!! So yes she is 38 yrs old! . Oh and can't forget her 17 year old son!! So yah she's not a great person. Can you say awkward!?
PS: I didn't get invited to the wedding because of my honesty about her not being a nice person.