The high school prom is the first formal social event for most American teenagers. It has also been a ceremony of passage for young Americans for nearly a century.

The word “prom was first used in the 1890s, referring to formal dances in which the guests of a party would display their fashions and dancing skills during the evening’s grand march. In the United States, parents and educators have come to regard the prom as an important lesson in social skills. Therefore, proms have been held every year in high schools for students to learn proper social behavior.

The first high school proms were held in the 1920s in America. By the 1930s, proms were common across the country. For many older Americans, the prom was a modest, home-grown affair in the school gymnasium. Prom-goers were well dressed but not fancily dressed up for the occasion: boys wore jackets and ties and girls their Sunday dresses. Couples danced to music provided by a local music band or a record player. After the 1960s, and especially since the 1980s, the high school prom in many areas has become a serious exercise in too much consumption, with boys renting expensive tuxedos and girls wearing designer gowns. Expensive cars were hired to drive the prom-goers to expensive restaurants or discos for an all-night entertainment.

Whether simple or abundant, proms have always been more or less unpleasant events for adolescents who worry about self-image and fitting in with their fellow teenagers. Prom night can be a dreadful experience for teens who are not good at social skills or for those who do not secure dates. Since the 1990s, alternative proms have been organized in some areas to meet the needs of particular students. For example, proms organized by and for homeless youth were reported. There were also “couple-free proms to which all students are welcome.

Sports classes are very important to students’ health and overall well-being. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that over the past three years obesity in children and adolescents has doubled because of diet and lack of activity.

A recent survey by the China Youth Daily showed that 64.7 percent of the 2,003 respondents found sports classes in middle schools unsatisfactory.

The government has begun to address the problem. According to a guideline on high school entrance exam reform released by the Ministry of Education in 2016, scores of physical education will be considered in enrollment for senior high schools.