I’m a sucker for cultural sub-pockets on social media, First there was the Secret Life of Tumblr Teens, and now we follow the coolest girls on Facebook. ‘Girls Night in’, a name that is ever changing for the purpose of keeping its secrecy, is a secret Facebook group/online sorority that consists of 1,500 women based in L.A .Getting an invite to the group isn’t easy, but if you do its like having friendship on demand — if one person isn’t around to give you a virtual hug, someone else is.The group is there for advice and an ego-boost. Any question, photo, or anecdote gets an overwhelming response. Additionally, the group itself is a filter bubble, members rely on the group’s hive mind to make any and all decisions.
The author sums it up nicely:
I realized that ‘Girls Night In’ is just the natural end result of constant connectivity. This is what happens when you are surrounded by people who are always up to hear about your day and offer support. The desire for that constant, supportive communication is why services like fake girlfriends exist and why millions of people in China regularly talk to Microsoft’s digital assistant Xiaoice. ‘Girls Night In’ offers the same appeal, except from real life humans who you don’t have to pay.
Why it’s hot
- Research says Facebook is the uncool social network your parents are on, but it could just be that users are erasing their footprints with these closed groups (think weird Facebook).
- In a way, users have found ways to retrograde Facebook to when it was less focused on brands/ads and more on relationships.
- This group, I think, is an interesting reaction to impatience in real life friendships friendships (missed calls, cancelled plans, delayed texts). The group’s connectivity always fulfills the desire to connect.
Source: http://fusion.net/story/278904/cool-girl-secret-facebook-groups/