Bryant University to students: Don't take graduation selfies
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Bryant University has reached "peak selfie." The Rhode Island school is begging students not to take selfies on stage when they receive their diplomas at next month's graduation ceremony.
While the trendy self-portraits are certainly annoying, the school claims that the real reason behind the move is a practical one, as stopping to take a photo onstage not only will hold up the ceremony, but also could wreck the professional photos taken at the event. "We have about 850 graduates, and we have a professional photographer snapping their picture when they shake my hand and get their diploma," said Bryant University President Ronald Machtley. "I don't think their mom and dad and grandma want to get a picture of them holding up their cellphone."
While some of Bryant's savvy Instagrammers might be upset about the move, student Ali Luthman told the Associated Press that "no one is crying about it." Phew.
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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.