Baffled parents forced to follow bizarre rule at kindergarten graduation: Straight out of Black Mirror

Cut the clap! The confused and proud mom of a kindergartner went viral on social media after posting a video from her child’s graduation ceremony where parents were forced to withhold their applause — or most of it, anyway.In the confusing clip dubbed “dystopian” by viewers, attendees were compelled to conform to a strange standard, indeed — just one clap, singular, per graduate.Armchair critics couldn’t wait to comment on the awkward affair, made public by Angelica Pueblas — the video, which racked up over 5 million views, drew in remarks ranging from flabbergasted to flippant.“Rationing claps is insane work,” one commenter said, while another joked: “They even got inflation on clapping [now].” “There are only like 17 kids up there.

Why are they strict about this?” wondered another commenter.“This feels like a cult,” one person decided.

While many fellow parents and concerned commenters found this peculiar procedure alarming, others thought it was both efficient and empathetic — with some in-the-know types arguing that there are numerous good reasons for the perplexing policy.In the event a child doesn’t have a parent, guardian, or caretaker in the audience, the ‘one-clap rule’ helps prevent feelings of jealousy, emotional rejection, or neglect among kids, according to some.After all, if one kindergartener has two parents, grandparents, and siblings cheering and clapping extensively, and the next child doesn’t have family at the ceremony, it can be “heartbreaking,” at least one commenter explained.“Why not just say clap hard for everyone?” one commenter suggested as a way to avoid the awkward atmosphere of this particular graduation ceremony.Another hypothesized that this rule could have been instituted to better accommodate students with sensory issues: “There could be kids that have auditory issues in the school, and this is their way to help them feel more comfortable.”Experienced parents chimed in, sayin...