Baffled parents forced to follow bizarre rule at kindergarten graduation: ‘Straight out of 'Black Mirror''
Cut the clap!
The confused and proud mom of a kindergartner went viral on social media after posting a video from her child's graduation ceremony where parents were forced to withhold their applause — or most of it, anyway.
In the confusing clip dubbed 'dystopian' by viewers, attendees were compelled to conform to a strange standard, indeed — just one clap, singular, per graduate.
Armchair critics couldn't wait to comment on the awkward affair, made public by Angelica Pueblas — the video, which racked up over 5 million views, drew in remarks ranging from flabbergasted to flippant.
'Rationing claps is insane work,' one commenter said, while another joked: 'They even got inflation on clapping [now].'
'There are only like 17 kids up there. Why are they strict about this?' wondered another commenter.
'This feels like a cult,' one person decided.
While many fellow parents and concerned commenters found this peculiar procedure alarming, others thought it was both efficient and empathetic — with some in-the-know types arguing that there are numerous good reasons for the perplexing policy.
In the event a child doesn't have a parent, guardian, or caretaker in the audience, the 'one-clap rule' helps prevent feelings of jealousy, emotional rejection, or neglect among kids, according to some.
After all, if one kindergartener has two parents, grandparents, and siblings cheering and clapping extensively, and the next child doesn't have family at the ceremony, it can be 'heartbreaking,' at least one commenter explained.
'Why not just say clap hard for everyone?' one commenter suggested as a way to avoid the awkward atmosphere of this particular graduation ceremony.
Another hypothesized that this rule could have been instituted to better accommodate students with sensory issues: 'There could be kids that have auditory issues in the school, and this is their way to help them feel more comfortable.'
Experienced parents chimed in, saying that cheering and clapping can also delay the reading of names, elongating the ceremony, and forcing young children — who may already be antsy to move beyond the seated formalities — to sit still longer than necessary.
'It seems silly, but it's really a lifesaver. You'd be there all night otherwise,' assured one school graduation veteran.
Others declared that the younger children get a reality check, the better: 'That's life. Some people get more claps. The kids gotta get over it,' wrote one blunt viewer.
After the initial post took off, Pueblas posted a follow-up video in which she explained that there was a point in the event, after all the children had walked the stage, where the crowd was permitted to clap for the entire group to their heart's content.
Meanwhile, strange or non-traditional commencement occurrences seem to be on the rise.
Just a few years ago, a Texas mom shared a wild TikTok, which amassed more than 13.4 million views, in which parents of graduating kindergarteners were told that they were not allowed to enter the ceremony with babies, forcing families with multiple young children to separate and forfeit the opportunity for both parents to watch their graduate walk across the stage.
Meanwhile, back in May, New York City's Pace University made national headlines after an AI-generated voice called out graduate names at commencement, rather than a professor or guest announcer. 'What a beautiful personal touch!' remarked one sarcastic commenter.
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