Add Another Industry to Facebook’s Hit List

My 20-year high school reunion was a real dud and I blame Facebook.

It certainly wasn’t the fault of the organizing committee. They hired an experienced management company, meticulously compiled a list of the 400 or so graduates and promoted the event religiously.

So why was the turn out a mere 10 percent of the class of 1989?


It’s because thanks to that 300 million member social community there is little value in attending a reunion. I am already clued in to what most fellow classmates are up to. I’ve read their updates. I have seen their photos. Heck…I probably know more about them now then when we sat in the same junior English class.

Admittedly, I did hesitate a bit before scratching out a $150 check for my wife and me to attend this past Saturday’s event. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one with reservations. Most of my former classmates elected to save their money and simply spy the post-event photos on Facebook.

Will there even be reunions by the time my 30-year rolls around? It’s a legitimate question.

This Web 2.0 era of the past 36 months has forever disrupted a myriad of tried and true business models. Just ask any publisher.

In fact, the Washington Post published a fascinating article a few weeks back which predicts the demise of the traditional higher education campus setting. Before you discount this, consider that by the time my six-year-old is college aged a year’s tuition at a state school in Maryland will run about $80,000. Something has got to change.

Business evolution is unrelenting and casts aside industries that lack adaptability.

For me, I was sadly reflective as my wife and I walked to the car after the reunion. Perhaps I’ll share this with a few of my close friends from high school. I’ll send them a message on Facebook.