Will Facebook Kill the Class Reunion?

Jules at floobergeist raises an interesting question about whether Facebook could lead to the end of class reunions.

If you're continually in touch with your old classmates and up to date on their lives, what's to be gained from a formal reunion?

Facebook: The End of Class Reunions?

Could the advancement of Facebook also result in the demise of the high school reunion? Is there a need to see your high school facebook friends in one place after 20 years? Will high school reunions simply become a dreary coffee date for the people of your graduation class who *aren't* on facebook?

I've addressed this before from the perspective of his this will effect Classmates.com's business, which has largely been built on the concept of enabling reunions.

Personally, I don't think Facebook or sites like it will kill reunions. In fact, it could do just the opposite since they'll be easier to organize and people will have more to talk about since they know more about each other through Facebook profiles than they may have known about each other when they shared classrooms.

To me, this is similar to local blogger meet-ups. People who've been tracking each other's lives through their blogs generally have a lot to talk about since they know what their fellow bloggers have in common with them before them get together.

*Photo by Velo Steve under CC.

I agree -- life is about real (offline) interaction. Who wants to live their whole life online?

I don't think we're gonna see a headline real soon that says:
"Facebook Is Life -- No Reason to Get Dressed and Go Outside Anymore" :-)

I think sites like Facebook would strengthen class reunions - you have been seeing and hearing about these people online for years and then you get to see them in person and all in one place - much more enticing!

I have to agree with Galen, apps like Facebook only strengthen communication and relationships. I'm sure turnout at reunions is higher for facebook members than non-members.

Well according to me social networking sites are not killing class reunions... but on a positive note as u mentioned these sites make it much more easy to organize a party and reach on consensus... cheers to facebook!!! it's been doing quiet a great job...

I realize this discussion is old, but... it seems to be a continuing discussion in many places, so I thought I would post.

What are you reasons for going to a class reunion? For me, most of those reasons have been met online. I helped organize a class reunion this year, and while the reunion didn't take place (lack of interest/response), I'm now in contact with those I wanted to be in contact with, and have no reason to travel thousands of miles just to "see" someone that I went to school with xx years ago. We have a small class. People didn't want to pay more than -99 cents - no one could decide on a date, few people expressed an interest (until they learned the reunion was canceled), and I found several classmates who were like me - interested only in a quick glance at what others had been up to over the years. That was taken care of on Facebook, classmates.com, myspace, etc.

On the other hand, I haven't attended any previous reunions, and in the organizing and planning, I found myself really looking forward to attending this reunion. Maybe I was more attracted to the idea of a great reunion, instead of reality, though.

I guess I haven't answered the original question, but it seems there are good arguments for either side.

Does anyone think the role of reunion planners is in decline because of facebook / myspace?

Comments

1. Posted by: jules on July 22, 2007 7:55 AM:

Aha! You might have a point there - I am already starting to see facebook as a *meetup* organizing tool... yikes, does this mean i might have to see *more* of the folks i wasn't so keen on spending four years of my life with in the first place? aha!

-jules

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