I know it’s hard to believe but a gender-reveal party caused a fire in Arizona.

Maybe you’ve heard: things like divorces, job departures, pets’ birthdays and asking someone to prom are also celebrated in addition to traditional celebrations like weddings and births

Well, where does this trend go? What is the reason of the events that were previously celebrated privately are now celebrated publicly?

New York City University communication professor says the most important reason is social media. “not only offer ideas but market products to achieve the ideal image of the celebration,” Gieseler writes.

On the one hand, the publicizing of private moments could be a way of making the event feel more special, or of celebrating those moments with more loved ones than might otherwise be possible with a stand-alone party. On the other, this impulse is expensive, creating tension for guests who feel weary from expanding obligations and the ambiguity surrounding gift-giving conventions.

The visibility of such parties online can also make the celebration of life events seem like a game, “in terms of who’s going to win the most social-media currency, who’s going to gain all the ‘likes,’ the views, the video-sharing numbers,” Gieseler says.

Social media may also be fueling this trend in a subtler, more roundabout way. When so much socializing happens online, it may be that any excuse to gather loved ones under a single roof is more appealing than ever.

Here’s the article.