Have you heard about “College Bed Parties?” Your students are being bombarded by social media posts touting the latest trend in conspicuous consumption to celebrate college acceptances. We are recommending you take a hard pass on this trend, or at the very least, refrain from posting. While these bed parties make for cute pics, please consider those who feel anxious, saddened by their results, or can’t afford the decor.
In spite of what our current (and soon to be former!) President may think, no one likes a braggart or a show off. After a university released its Early Decisions last week, kids, once again, were inundated with tiktoks celebrating the “winners.” We are sure that the students were full of pride and relief, and in an era when nothing exists unless it appears on social media, wanted to share their great joy and show their accomplishments to everyone.
We understand the exaltation and the desire to sing it from the rooftops, but might we counsel restraint? Please, we implore you and your student to wait a beat. Keep it to yourself for just a moment. Of course, call and text your friends and family. Shout your success from the top of your lungs. Supportive friends can post a celebratory photo on their story, but don’t do it yourself.
Consider the optics. Showing off is so pre-COVID. Consider your friends and peers who may not have been so fortunate in their early attempts. Their suffering in that moment is profound and they are afraid. The last thing anyone needs is to have someone else’s colorful, balloon explosion in their face. The glory of your student’s success will still be there in a couple of weeks, for the next four years, and for the rest of their lives.
Instead of spending hundreds of dollars buying disposable collegiate swag, consider donating that amount to an organization that supports under-privileged students going to college, such as One Voice Scholars, Posse Foundation, or ScholarMatch. In fact, you could post that you’ve donated in honor of your student’s acceptance. Instead of promoting excess, please consider making a difference in someone’s life. Let’s make this a thing!
