‘Ahahaha I’m Crying’: Teens Freak Out Over College Acceptance on Twitter
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Mid-December is an emotional time for certain teens (and their parents). It’s when some colleges release early admissions decisions for people who applied early, typically in exchange for a commitment that accepted students will enroll. It’s also, thanks to social media, when these overachieving high schoolers broadcast their full spectrum of feelings to the world.
The flood of all-caps tweets, emojis, and SpongeBob Squarepants screenshots occasioned by Thursday’s early decision announcements proves it: Applying to college wreaks havoc on adolescent emotions. Scrolling through these raw displays of despair and elation is a somewhat nostalgic reminder of what it’s like to be 17, terrified, and navigating an uncertain future.