Prom is always depicted as one of the most memorable nights of a teenager’s entire high school life — a once in a lifetime experience full of glamorous dresses, pictures, music and unforgettable moments. “High School Musical 3” even dedicates a whole four minutes to sing about how it’s a “Night to Remember.” It’s that important. But this year, that experience comes with a hefty price tag. Prom tickets are a whopping $120, which is a $20 increase just from last year. For many students it raises a question that is hard to ignore: is prom really worth it?

In the grand scheme of things, $20 might not seem like much. But for students that have to balance other expenses for the event such as a dress, suit, shoes, transportation or even extra touches like hair and makeup, an extra $20 can make a difference. What was once a fun tradition is starting to feel more like a financial commitment that not everyone is in a position to partake in.

Beyond the cost, there is also the prom experience itself. Before attending myself my junior year, I was led to believe through my peers and social media, that it was this magical evening. But sometimes reality doesn’t live up to our expectations. I paid over a hundred dollars for what, a few hours in a hotel lobby, food that is really questionable, and a small dance room with music that doesn’t really match the “prom vibe.” When the experience is that underwhelming, it becomes harder to justify the high price.

For most of us, the most meaningful part of prom isn’t even the event itself; it’s the time we spent with our friends. Taking pictures with my best friend, hanging out before, eating good snacks and blasting music on the drive over were all moments that I immediately think of when I think about my prom experience. It’s never the actual prom. It’s the moments that don’t require an expensive ticket that end up being the memorable ones, so is the official event even necessary?

The answer starts to become more clear when you consider that part of the problem might be the fact that while prom hasn’t changed at all, we have. Our generation has grown up in a completely different world than those before us. We’ve always had phones, social media, and constant access to each other. It has changed the way we connect and what we find meaningful. For that reason, a tradition like prom doesn’t automatically hold the same value it once did. What worked for past generations doesn’t always mean that it is going to work for us. If our school wants prom to feel more meaningful again, it needs to adapt in some way: whether that is rethinking the format, lowering costs, or creating an experience that actually reflects what students today will enjoy.

With that said, the answer isn’t completely black and white. Even though I don’t think prom is worth it for what it currently offers, I understand why people want to go and why they might want to experience something that is so integrated with the idea of high school. It’s a tradition, a milestone, and for some students, it actually does live up to the hype. The issue isn’t that prom exists. It’s that it doesn’t match what students today want or expect.

So maybe instead of asking whether prom is worth it, we should be asking how it can be made worth it. Everyone should go to prom at least once if it is worth it – and right now, it isn’t.