Why is it expected that a girl has to have a date to go to prom? What’s so important about going with someone?

If I want to go to prom by myself, then I should be able to without being ridiculed for it. I’ll tell someone I’m going to prom and their follow-up question is automatically, “Who are you going with?” The worst part is when I say I’m going alone, and then I’m given the weirdest looks because apparently, I should have a date.

When prom was first introduced, it was a way for girls to find husbands, so they would go alone. Prom was like this for a couple of decades until the Generation Z’s pop culture changed the view of this popular event. That’s when the idea of girls being asked (and promposals) emerged. Since then, society has built onto the prom stereotype and morphed it into what it is today.

I can see why some girls may be scared of the judgment they’ll receive for going to prom alone, but why should they care about what others think? As long as I’m confident in my decisions, then I believe that I can do whatever I put my mind to; even if it means going against social norms.

In addition, going alone is more beneficial than going with someone. I only have to buy my ticket, I don’t have to worry about matching my dress to someone else’s outfit, and I can dance with anyone I want to dance with. After prom, I get to hang out with my friends, go to any party or maybe even go home because I’ll probably be tired. The freedom of choices are endless.

I believe that girls shouldn’t be pressured into thinking that they have to have a date in order to fit in at prom. Anyone can have a great time by themselves, so grab your heels and hit the dancefloor like the independent woman you are.