One spring day in 1993, a classmate named Jason approached me after choir practice and asked, “Hey, would you like to go to prom with me?” I replied, “Sure, that sounds great!” And that was it. That was my prom invitation, and you know what? It was perfectly fine. Back then, that was the norm. Since then, I’ve never once thought, “I wish my prom invitation had been more extravagant.”
Fast forward to today, and it seems that asking someone to prom or homecoming has transformed into a grand event, akin to getting engaged or announcing a pregnancy. Now, we have “promposals” that can be more elaborate than wedding proposals.
Seriously, picture this: a girl’s room filled with balloons and a sign that says, “Will you soar to prom with me?” Or someone renting a plane to spell out “PROM?” in giant letters that can only be seen from the sky. How about creating a bonfire that spells out the word “PROM?” Calm down, everyone. It’s just a dance. This isn’t the start of a lifelong commitment, nor is it a pivotal life event. It’s simply a high school dance.
Sure, dressing up and enjoying a night out with friends is exciting. The tradition of corsages and boutonnieres adds to the fun, and I get why people look forward to prom. But let’s keep it in perspective—it’s just a dance.
What I find most puzzling about the promposal craze is that it’s happening even among couples who are already dating. Do you really need to ask your significant other to prom? Isn’t that already a given? If my boyfriend asked me to prom, I’d think, “Of course, why wouldn’t we go together?” It seems unnecessary.
And the trend doesn’t stop there. More and more parents are hiring professional photographers to document their children’s pre-prom moments. Professional photographers for a high school dance? I can recall standing on my front porch in my black velvet dress with Jason in his tux while my parents snapped a few pictures. We didn’t even see them until the film was developed—and that was enough.
How did we go from simple snapshots to elaborate photo shoots? It seems that the younger generation’s desire for social media validation is causing both kids and their parents to go overboard, spending excessive time and money on a high school event. I don’t inherently oppose professional photography, nor do I believe that everything was better in my day. I’m not one to criticize “kids these days.” And while some may argue, “What’s the harm?” I don’t think something needs to be harmful to be misguided.
It feels like these promposals might lead to unrealistic expectations. Are kids setting themselves up for disappointment when other significant milestones in their lives—like engagements, weddings, or pregnancy announcements—don’t live up to the hype of a high school promposal? Shouldn’t those events carry more weight than an invitation to a dance?
Moreover, what about the shy kids who are already anxious about asking someone to a dance? Now they have to worry about how to make their promposal memorable without drawing too much attention. Will their dates feel let down if they don’t get the grand promposal treatment?
Am I the only one who sees these developments as problematic? Can we rewind and put an end to the promposal trend before it spirals further out of control? I’d like to see this concept fade into obscurity, right alongside the mullet and the wild events of 2016.
In conclusion, prom and homecoming should remain the fun, lighthearted dances they were meant to be—not an occasion for extravagant displays and pressure. Let’s embrace the simplicity of these events and enjoy them for what they are.
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