As senioritis starts to creep in during the second half of the school year, Instagram feeds fill up with long-awaited college decisions, signifying the beginning of “commitment season”. After four long years of volunteering, school sports and standardized testing, it is only natural that seniors want to celebrate their achievements with a big celebration. Bed parties, a celebration where friends and family decorate the bed of committed seniors with themed clothing, food and decorations, have become increasingly popular since Covid-19. While this tradition is a way for seniors to celebrate their deserved accomplishments, as time goes on, these parties have become far too overdone and in-your-face.
Parties can be a great way to celebrate the hard work that goes into the college admissions process, but there is a line to be drawn on how over-the-top they should be with relentlessly posting on social media to “brag” about not only the college commitment but also the monetary resources needed to create this luxurious display. A small gathering of close friends and family with some themed desserts is a perfect way to mark the special occasion. However, such a small, low key event is a rare sight nowadays. Beds overflowing with college themed sweatshirts, t-shirts, shoes, desserts, chips, hats and balloons are no longer a shocking site on social media. The ostentatious parties are obnoxious, especially when so many are posted in a row. Seeing so many people commit to their schools can be hurtful to those who either recently got rejected from their dream schools or cannot afford such an expensive array of gifts.
Traditionally, the committed senior’s friends decorate the bed and buy all of the supplies. The cost of these pretentious beds can become pricey, especially when paying for multiple friends in a short period of time. Even when the family of the committed student pays for the party, viewers of these endless posts that cannot afford such an event may feel discouraged or that their commitment is less important. While this is definitely not the case, bed parties encourage these self-deprecating feelings.
On top of creating insecure feelings, bed parties also contribute to toxic overconsumption culture; realistically, no one can possibly eat 10 bags of chips and four cookie cakes before they go stale. There is no doubt that it is fun to represent your college, but there is such a thing as “too much” when it comes to school spirit.
A small celebration is always deserved and exciting, but there is a point when it becomes excessive and unnecessary. Instead of releasing endless posts of these lavish and wasteful gatherings, commitment parties should be less focused on your “image” and the aesthetics of it and more focused on what’s actually important: the hard work and dedication it took to get to that point.
