Does prom always live up to its electrifying expectations?
May brings an expensive and stressful prom season
Prom season has sprung along with the excitement of promposals and the rush to get the best dress and the perfect hair and makeup. Prom would not be complete without the stress of planning the perfect night, and of course the anticipation of everything playing out just right. With the amount of pressure high schoolers, especially girls, put on themselves for prom, it is a wonder that more people have not given up on it all together. Maybe it is the thought of getting dressed up for one night or just the tradition of going to prom junior and senior year that keeps people going year after year. However, prom might not be worth all of the time, money, and effort that people put into it.
Although prom is attended by juniors and seniors, senior prom seems to be the most important to people. It is one last night in high school to have fun and let loose with friends while also looking good. Looking back on high school, adults always speak of their fond memories of senior prom, but they rarely mention any disappointing moments or things that went wrong. People seem to block out the memories of a possible heartbreak of a date leaving or an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction because it was senior prom, one of the most anticipated nights of the entire school year. Prom seems to be so important to some people that they decide to go even when they do not want to or they fake having a good time. There is something that makes prom so special that people are willing to jump through hoops and deal with large amounts of stress just to make one night unforgettable.
Prom would not be complete without an amazing dress or a sharp looking tuxedo, but those come with a price tag. Along with hair and makeup for girls, and the possible limo, the price of prom can add up quickly. While girls usually tend to spend more money on prom, many see it as the guy’s responsibility to pay for dinner and the tickets, so altogether one couple going to prom can cost way more than imagined. Although prom spending has decreased from earlier years, this is still a staggering amount of money for one night, especially for families who do not make much money. Recent polls tend to indicate that parents believe it is acceptable to spend hundreds of money on prom for their children, even if that takes up a large amount of their income. Parents, therefore, pay for most of the expenses, if not all of them.
Stress also takes a big role in prom planning. Students spend hours trying to make a timeline for the events of prom night, coordinating groups, and making reservations. Girls stress over finding the perfect dress and making hair and makeup appointments while boys stress over finding a date and making an elaborate promposal. Overall, it seems like an unnecessary amount of stress for just one night, even though the memories might last a lifetime.
After it is all over, many people realize that prom is not as magical of a night as they envisioned it to be. Recently with the monumental amount of money parents are spending on prom, it seems like people are going overboard for a high school function. Prom is not worth the stress and the amount of money people spend, it just is not logical. However, if people tone down how expensive prom is and avoid making it so elaborate, prom can be a nice event for seniors to enjoy one last time with their classmates.
