Senior photo posts well-intentioned but not appreciated

The Class of 2020 — and the Better Business Bureau — kindly request that you stop posting your senior pictures on Facebook as an act of “solidarity.”

For about a month now, a “copy and paste” status has circulated on social media, particularly on Facebook, that says, “In support of the Class of 2020 and all they’re missing out on, share YOUR senior picture no matter how old you are. Come on friends, dig out those boxes of memories! Let’s see everyone’s pic. Just copy, paste, and change your school …”

The issue here is twofold: Social and security-related.

On the social end, posting pictures from your own senior year or graduation isn’t supporting the Class of 2020 — it’s just rubbing salt in their wounds. This is not an exact analogy, but think about in A Christmas Story, when Aunt Clara sends Ralphie that bunny suit: She means well, and it comes from a place of love, but her good intentions don’t make being subjected to that pink monstrosity any less painful. The senior photo challenge is similar. You mean well, it comes from a place of love, but seeing pictures of you in your cap and gown doesn’t make it any less painful for the Class of 2020 that they won’t have the same opportunity to don their own vestments and cords.

If anything, seeing memories of your senior year or graduation just drives home the fact the Class of 2020 won’t get the same experiences. Sure, many colleges and universities will allow 2020 seniors to join in on December ceremonies or walk next May. But it’s not the same. The high school Class of 2020 might not get a graduation at all. And a virtual graduation doesn’t even come close to replicating the real thing.

Not to mention missing out on the final semester of their high school or college career. Missing prom and other parties. No final goodbyes as they close this chapter in their lives.

Someone argued in the comments of one of these posts that the senior photo challenge was an opportunity for older people to reminisce because young people don’t have Facebook. That’s not quite true. Many young folk — particularly college-aged individuals — do have and use Facebook. Maybe not as much as other social media sites like Twitter and Instagram, but Facebook was the go-to for teenagers in the early 2010s. Plus, young people use Facebook to stay connected with older friends and relatives who may not have other social media.

The point: The Class of 2020 can see your “solidarity” posts, and they aren’t feeling particularly supported.

The other issue is security. The Better Business Bureau announced on its website a few days ago that posting your senior or graduation picture, complete with your high school/university and graduation year, gives potential hackers access to information commonly used for security questions. Many accounts require users to set up a question or prompt to verify your identity when you log in. These are usually generic questions whose answers are personal but easily remembered — such as the name of your high school or university and/or the year you graduated high school/university.

Long story short: For everyone’s safety and sanity, please keep your old senior year/graduation photos off social media.