Victoria Amisial

The Evolution of Spring Break

Introduction

Last week you were sitting in a hard uncomfortable chair in the cold barrenness of a massive lecture hall, likely trying- but failing- to pay attention to the information your professor has been droning on and on about for the past hour. This instruction will likely be in your next midterm, however, your mind is far too preoccupied to let that persuade you to pay attention. Today, on the other hand, you’re at the beach, the unholy heat of the scorching sun blazing down at you while you find yourself surrounded by hundreds of intoxicated strangers, all gathering for the same purpose. The thoughts of your professor, exams, papers, and school alike have left a while ago, all left behind in the confines of your college campus. It’s spring break after all and after the debilitating pressures of both the fall and first half of spring semester, you deserve your time in the sun to party, drink, hook up, and make poor choices.

Spring break is a time of year that has become synonymous with relaxation, travel, and revelry for college students across the United States. But where did this tradition come from? The history of spring break is a fascinating tale of cultural evolution, economic changes, and shifting social attitudes. From its early beginnings as a quiet academic recess to its current status as a massive cultural phenomenon, the story of spring break is a reflection of our society's values, aspirations, and desires. In this essay, we will explore the history of spring break, tracing its origins and development over time, and examining the cultural, social, and economic forces that have shaped this beloved American tradition.

A growing phenomenon

The 1950s and 60s saw the rapid growth of the spring break phenomenon as we know it today. The introduction of air travel made it easier and more affordable for college students to travel to warm-weather destinations, and the post-war economic boom meant that more and more young people had the disposable income to do so (2). During this time, Florida emerged as the premier spring break destination, with cities like Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach attracting huge crowds of college students each year. This rapid growth was due in part to the growing representation of the spring break phenomenon in mass media, which would incentivize college students to flock to certain locations to have similar experiences. One of the most popular depictions of spring break came from the movie "Where the Boys Are" in 1960. The movie follows the lives of four college students on spring break in Ft Lauderdale who are searching for love, and end up finding it over the course of the film. The film popularized the idea of a beach vacation for college students, particularly in warm destinations like Florida. The film's depiction of young people having fun, partying, and falling in love during spring break resonated with audiences and helped to create a sense of excitement and anticipation around the vacation period. The success of the film also led to the creation of other spring break-themed movies and TV shows, which further contributed to the cultural phenomenon of spring break. 

By 1986, Fort Lauderdale was unable to contain the amount of intoxicated college students gathering to the beach and that year alone, rowdy behavior led to at least 2,500 student arrests (2). After the rowdy spring break of 1986, the city of Fort Lauderdale took measures to control the influx of students and the rowdy behavior that had become associated with the annual college vacation. The city began by imposing stricter laws and regulations on things like drinking and partying, and increased police patrols and surveillance in popular spring break areas- “Drinking on the beaches was prohibited, and students were informed that they were no longer welcome to the city.” They also launched a massive public relations campaign designed to discourage students from coming to Fort Lauderdale for spring break, emphasizing the potential dangers and negative consequences of excessive partying and drinking (6).

MTV Spring Break

Nevertheless, while spring break became banned in Fort Lauderdale, and the number of students coming to the city for spring break decreased significantly in the following years, spring breakers had already begun to flock to neighboring beach cities to continue in the festivities. Namely, Daytona Beach and Panama City in Florida, as well as other countries such as Mexico, began to increase in popularity. 

As Spring Break became more and more popular, its depiction in the media had similarly begun to increase, with corporations trying to profit off the growing phenomenon. One of the most infamous depictions of Spring Break comes from the creation of MTV’s Spring Break special, which coincidentally began in 1986 in Daytona Beach Florida (1). 

The week-long event was a mix of live music performances, beach parties, and various games and competitions. Popular MTV VJs such as Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter, and Downtown Julie Brown hosted the festivities, and there were appearances by various celebrity guests. The event also featured a number of promotions with sponsors. Brands such as Pepsi and Budweiser were featured prominently in the coverage, similarly capitalizing on the phenomenon that was becoming known. The MTV Spring Break of 1986 was a huge success, drawing massive crowds and setting the template for the network's future coverage of the event. It also helped to cement the idea of spring break as a cultural phenomenon. According to an article by Dave Roos describing the history of spring break, “By the mid-1990s, MTV's annual skinfest had become a cultural institution, showcasing live musical performances and lots of Carmen Electra in a bikini from spring break destinations like Cancun, Jamaica and (for some reason) Lake Havasu, Arizona(1).”

MTV Spring Break had a significant impact on spring break culture, particularly in the 1990s and early 2000s. The annual televised event drew massive crowds of young people, who came to participate in the live music performances, beach parties, and other festivities. The event also helped to popularize certain spring break destinations, such as Cancun, Mexico and Panama City Beach, Florida, which became synonymous with the MTV Spring Break experience. The network's coverage of spring break also contributed to the sense of anticipation and excitement around the annual college vacation, with millions of viewers tuning in to watch the festivities from home. 

MTV Spring Break spawned several spin-offs over the years, which capitalized on the popularity of the annual event and offered viewers additional opportunities to indulge in the spring break experience. One of the most notable spin-offs was MTV's Summer Beach House, which aired in the mid-1990s as well as  MTV's The Grind Spring Break, which combined the network's signature dance show with the party atmosphere of spring break. In the 2000s, MTV introduced a number of reality shows that were set during spring break, including The Real World: Cancun and Jersey Shore, which followed a group of young adults as they navigated the party scene in popular spring break destinations. 

Additionally, The depictions of spring break within the media had also taken a turn, focusing less on the romanticization of it, and more on cautionary tales of advice for those who go too far in spring break. The movie Spring Breakers, which was released in 2012, depicts the darker side of spring break. Directed by Harmony Korine, it follows the spring break of four college girls who rob a restaurant to fund a wild spring break trip in Florida. And, rather than the fun, wild break they were expecting, the girls ultimately go on a journey filled with criminal activity that leaves them yearning to return home. This depiction is a far cry from the romanticism of Where the Boys are, and has led to a contrasting impact in Spring Break culture.