Experts called graduation a mirror of parents' social attitudes
Graduation is increasingly becoming not only a school holiday, but also a reflection of social differences between families. Teenagers' perception of this event is largely shaped by the influence of their parents: it is adults who set the emotional background, and if they focus on the cost and status of the holiday, children begin to perceive the event as a reason for comparison. All the details are in the Izvestia article.
Financial burden on families
Over the past 10-15 years, the cost of organizing proms has doubled or tripled. Ilya Rusyaev, a business consultant and founder of the Rusyaev Club business community, noted that if in 2015 the average budget was 15-30 thousand rubles, now in megacities the amount often exceeds 150 thousand rubles. With total family expenses of more than 300 thousand rubles, the burden on the household budget may amount to several monthly earnings.
The spending structure has become significantly more complicated: loft rentals, professional videography, and DJ services have been added to the traditional banquets and outfits. Celebration standards are shaped by the influence of social media, forcing parents to focus on the premium segment. At the same time, about half of families choose economical formats such as picnics or holidays at school.
"In the May-June peak of demand, sites and contractors raise tariffs, and families either overpay or are content with what's left. Collective fees are arranged in such a way that an individual family cannot actually influence the final estimate, even if it is satisfied with a more modest format," Rusyaev said.
Parents' attitudes
Social inequality within the classroom becomes more noticeable during graduation preparation, but the perception of this problem depends on the position of adults. Maria Todorova, a child and family psychologist, emphasized that it is parents who set the emotional background. If the value of a child in a family is measured by external attributes, teenagers react more acutely to the difference in wealth.
In large cities, the level of conspicuous consumption is higher due to the culture of comparison, whereas in small towns, the requirements for a holiday are usually simpler.
"If adults worry themselves, discuss the cost of graduation as an indicator of status, compare families with each other, worry about a dress or a restaurant, children read this attitude very quickly. Teenagers at this age are especially sensitive to the assessment of significant adults," Todorova explained.
The psychologist stated that graduation may reflect social stratification within the class, but the inequality itself is reinforced not by the format of the holiday, but by the atmosphere of competition and parental attitudes, in which the value of the child begins to be associated with external attributes. According to her, the task of adults is not to turn graduation into a demonstration of status, but to preserve for teenagers the feeling of completing an important stage of life, where belonging, friendship and support come to the fore, rather than the cost of the event.
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