Shining lights, lively music, glittering gowns: prom is a highly anticipated event every year by high school students across the country.

With the excitement of a wonderful night spent with your class, there is an underlying pressure leading up to the day of prom: having a date.

The pressure to have a prom date is not a new one; this value has existed amongst teenagers for decades. Mid-Pacific Dean Carly Ibara reflects on her experiences while she was a high schooler during prom season.

“I remember I went to the St. Louis prom with some guy I did not know because [at] an all boys school, you need to find a date. So I met him once, then we went to the prom and it was weird. I thought that was super strange,” Ibara said.

Ibara could also see this pressure flowing through her classmates who also felt the need to have a prom date.

“I believe the pressure existed back then. I had a friend who moved to Hawaii in the middle of her senior year and ended up not having a date, so she actually didn’t go to prom. But I totally understood why, because who wants to sit on a table when everyone else is coupled up and not you?” Ibara said.

These feelings of needing to bring a date to prom have continued over the years, and most days around campus one can hear the anxious chatter of students as they try to decide who they will bring to this special night.

“I think what makes having a date fun is having someone to ask to the prom that you wouldn’t normally ask, and it definitely gets you out of your shell,” senior Opal Caldiero said.

With the pressures that fill the school halls leading up to prom, the feeling of needing a date is greatly exacerbated due to social media. Around this time of year, social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok flood with content all revolving around the anticipation of preparing for the special night.

Compared to her high school days, Ibara believes the stakes of prom today are much higher – something that is at least partly due to the influence of social media.

“All the posting on social media leading up to prom heightens the stress. It all seems to have to be documented now,” Ibara said.

While it maybe stressful for many, plenty of seniors still believe that the main value of senior prom is that it is a rite of passage: a can’t-miss part of a classic high school experience.

“ It’s your senior prom. I feel like most people should have a date just for the experience; I feel like it’s a tradition,” senior Luke Bartholomees said.

Besides being a valued tradition, having a date can also enhance the experience of prom overall for both parties.

“A prom date adds a little fun twist to the night, like having the experience of getting ready together,” Caldiero said.

Despite the pressures, prom is about so much more than bringing a date. Everyone should experience the special night, regardless of sharing the night with someone or not.

“I think all students should go to prom because once you’re done with high school, you’re very rarely asked to put on a gown,” Ibara said.

In the end, the heightened stress from bringing a date to prom shouldn’t be the biggest deal of the iconic experience.

“It’s really not that deep; don’t put pressure on yourself. This isn’t the same as a marriage or an engagement,” Ibara said.