The headline isn’t quite right — the article doesn’t delve much into the why of people signing yearbooks, or why it has changed over the decades. But it does cover the trends of change over time, which is itself interesting.
(I would guess it is also US-centric. I would think this sort of thing varies significantly by country.)
Why Do People Sign Yearbooks?
Commemorative class books evolved from practical notebooks into collections of hair clippings, rhyming couplets, and “have a great summer” wishes.
Yes, we don't really have yearbooks in Australia.
+Andrew Pam Interesting. Anything analogous (something that records info about the school year / students for nostalgic purposes)? Or does everyone just go on their way?
There are usually school reunions for those who like to attend, and perhaps some kind of alumni newsletter. But people who want to keep in touch need to make their own arrangements, or contact the school later if they want to check the records.
On doing a search, it appears that yearbooks are starting to catch on now in the decades since I went to school – no doubt inspired by the US practice.
+Andrew Pam Well, there's money to be made in them, so that's not surprising.
For lots of in-jokes?
http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Sunnydale_High_Yearbook