--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The current concept of prom just seems so…" description: "\"The current concept of prom just seems so empty. Teenagers get dressed up to go to a dance at a fancy location. It encourages social inclusion or exclu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/adora-svitak-9680_ability_the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-s_1392208.jpg" --- # The current concept of prom just seems so empty. Teenagers… ![“The current concept of prom just seems so empty. Teenagers get dressed up to go to a dance at a fancy location. It encourages social inclusion or exclusion based on your ability or inability to snag a date.” quote by Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/adora-svitak-9680_ability_the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-s_1392208.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/adora-svitak-9680_ability_the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-s_1392208.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/adora-svitak-9680_ability_the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-s_1392208.jpg) > “The current concept of prom just seems so empty. Teenagers get dressed up to go to a dance at a fancy location. It encourages social inclusion or exclusion based on your ability or inability to snag a date.” [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The modern prom ritual feels hollow, turning a social event into a status contest that can include or exclude based on dating success. **In simple terms:** Prom has become superficial, focusing on appearance and dating. Key Takeaway Rethink social events to prioritize genuine connection. Themes social rituals status inclusion adolescence culture Mood reflective critical hopeful Type cultural critique social commentary adolescent insight When to use this quote - school dances - online dating events - community gatherings Key Concepts identity peer pressure ritual symbolism Questions to Reflect On - How can we redesign rites of passage to be more inclusive? - What values should we celebrate in youth gatherings? A Different Perspective It can reinforce harmful hierarchies and pressure teens. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Dance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dance/) [Inclusion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inclusion/) [Prom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prom/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Teenagers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenagers/) ## Related quotes > [I think prom is just about enjoying yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-justice/i-think-prom-is-just-about-enjoying-yourself/) [Victoria Justice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-justice/) > [You know, I always wondered what it would have been like to just go to school, play football with the guys and go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donny-osmond/you-know-i-always-wondered-what-it-would-have-been-like-to-just-go-to/) [Donny Osmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donny-osmond/) > [Isn't prom just a fun dance that hardworking students deserve? Sure, but it's also an event where girls internalize damaging cultural messages.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-simmons/isn-t-prom-just-a-fun-dance-that-hardworking-students-deserve-sure/) [Rachel Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-simmons/) > [“A trio of teenagers, dressed like Prostitute Barbie, approached, drift-netting the width of the pavement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/a-trio-of-teenagers-dressed-like-prostitute-barbie-approached-drift/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Just because you have teenagers in a movie doesn't make it a teen movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-fehr/just-because-you-have-teenagers-in-a-movie-doesn-t-make-it-a-teen/) [Brendan Fehr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-fehr/) > [I'm just one of those teenagers in the block. I make mistakes and have fun , a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charm-res/i-m-just-one-of-those-teenagers-in-the-block-i-make-mistakes-and-have/) [Charm Res](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charm-res/) > [I had a difficult start to secondary school, missing the first month because of 'Mary Poppins.' Everyone knew who I was, who my brother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-hope-fletcher/i-had-a-difficult-start-to-secondary-school-missing-the-first-month/) [Carrie Hope Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-hope-fletcher/) > [“But that’s what people do, Woody. People are just walking bags of impulses. Not just teenagers—all of us. We do shitty things because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-furniss/but-that-s-what-people-do-woody-people-are-just-walking-bags-of/) [Jo Furniss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-furniss/) > [Were just teenagers dont get mad if we do something dumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-resendez/were-just-teenagers-dont-get-mad-if-we-do-something-dumb/) Victor Resendez > [Prom has all the elements of a popular story. It reeks of all-Americanness, tension, drama. It has romance. Pretty dresses. Dancing. Limos. High school.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/prom-has-all-the-elements-of-a-popular-story-it-reeks-of-all/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I can assure you we are all strong-willed, forceful personalities and the president encourages vigorous debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hughes/i-can-assure-you-we-are-all-strong-willed-forceful-personalities-and/) [Karen Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hughes/) > [Natural selection has duped us with an emotion that encourages group thinking. It is an emotion that makes us act as if for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-pagel/natural-selection-has-duped-us-with-an-emotion-that-encourages-group/) [Mark Pagel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-pagel/) > [I am not opposed to e-readers. Any technology that encourages the reading of literature is a good thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/i-am-not-opposed-to-e-readers-any-technology-that-encourages-the/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [I have no doubts. I know what gets in the way and I know what encourages me to do more work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zorn/i-have-no-doubts-i-know-what-gets-in-the-way-and-i-know-what/) [John Zorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zorn/) > [My mom taught me the power of love. I learned to focus on the long-term big picture from my father. His sense of humor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/my-mom-taught-me-the-power-of-love-i-learned-to-focus-on-the-long/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) ## More by Adora Svitak > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [We need to reward the 'thankless job' of substitute teaching with better pay and chances for permanent positions. I look forward to the day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/we-need-to-reward-the-thankless-job-of-substitute-teaching-with/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I was thrilled to be able to read at three. I just thought everyone loved reading as much as I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/i-was-thrilled-to-be-able-to-read-at-three-i-just-thought-everyone/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [To try to teach ignoring technology is to ignore the progress that we have made over the last century. If school is preparation for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/to-try-to-teach-ignoring-technology-is-to-ignore-the-progress-that-we/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [My parents homeschooled my sister and me for many years. Why? Because the local school insisted that I, being three, should go to preschool,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/my-parents-homeschooled-my-sister-and-me-for-many-years-why-because/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [As we grow up in more technology-enriched environments filled with laptops and smart phones, technology is not just becoming a part of our daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/as-we-grow-up-in-more-technology-enriched-environments-filled-with/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [The point of my work is to make it clear that all youth can make 'big miracles' happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/the-point-of-my-work-is-to-make-it-clear-that-all-youth-can-make-big/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I think that my peers deserve more than products to buy wrapped up in advertising. We need ideas to share and causes to believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/i-think-that-my-peers-deserve-more-than-products-to-buy-wrapped-up-in/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [If I had my way, I'd end all wars and poverty. We should all be more aware of what's going on in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/if-i-had-my-way-i-d-end-all-wars-and-poverty-we-should-all-be-more/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I do wear a lot of hats, and sometimes people get confused with all that I do, but one thing that I am extraordinarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/i-do-wear-a-lot-of-hats-and-sometimes-people-get-confused-with-all/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [Success on the front of women's rights will look like a world not only with obvious advances - where no girl is denied access…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/success-on-the-front-of-women-s-rights-will-look-like-a-world-not/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [We're used to the characteristics of social media - participation, connection, instant gratification - and when school doesn't offer the same, it's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/we-re-used-to-the-characteristics-of-social-media-participation/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [In order to make anything a reality, you have to dream about it first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/in-order-to-make-anything-a-reality-you-have-to-dream-about-it-first/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [As children, we have a tenuous idea of love; we often try to quantify it with how much we feel seen and heard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/as-children-we-have-a-tenuous-idea-of-love-we-often-try-to-quantify/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [Like probably a lot of people, I came away from watching films like 'Miss Representation' and 'Half the Sky' with the realization that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/like-probably-a-lot-of-people-i-came-away-from-watching-films-like/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) [Explore all 71 Adora Svitak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The current concept of prom just seems so empty. Teenagers get dressed up to go to a dance at a fancy location. It encourages social inclusion or exclusion based on your ability or inability to snag a date.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adora Svitak" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-so-empty-teenagers-get-dressed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-so-empty-teenagers-get-dressed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/adora-svitak-9680_ability_the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-s_1392208.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/adora-svitak-9680_ability_the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-s_1392208.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/adora-svitak-9680_ability_the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-s_1392208.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The current concept of prom just seems so empty. Teenagers get dressed up to go to a dance at a fancy…” — Adora Svitak", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adora Svitak", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The current concept of prom just...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-so-empty-teenagers-get-dressed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/the-current-concept-of-prom-just-seems-so-empty-teenagers-get-dressed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```