High school yearbooks focus on the fun students had, obscuring the pain people also experienced

A review of nearly 100 years of high school yearbooks from Salinas High School in California showcases a nostalgic, not always accurate, version of high school.

By: Michael A Messner, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 22, 2026

Words: 1,222

Last Updated: 3 months, 1 week ago

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By Michael A Messner, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

High school students will soon take part in a more than 160-year-old tradition in American education: receiving yearbooks at the end of the school year.

In an era of high-speed ephemeral images and social media, some may see high school yearbooks as outdated. But high school and college students have told me that they found it meaningful to look through their yearbooks …

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