The digital debut of the namesake Affirmations Instagram came with big promises in the form of slightly comedic daily mantras. Repeat these short phrases enough, and you can change your life — even if that just means not having a panic attack at the coffee shop.
When smaller affirmations accounts started popping up, bearing the names of colleges and towns, they promised not sarcastic self-actualization but recognition. This was an altogether different beauty, something totally mundane. This was the online version of meeting someone from your hometown or university in a crowded bar hundreds of miles away and realizing that you both recalled the same hectic intersection and hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop. You share a collective experience not categorized in the knowledge of one thing but in the understanding of everything.
But now that knowledge can be categorized, at least in meme form. Local and college affirmations accounts are communities personified online, and they come at a time in which we’re asking even more of our online spaces than ever before — yes, I mean the pandemic and its enduring effects. Although community might once have played out organically in physical places, the virtual realm has become the only truly safe space from COVID. And that has left a hole for Instagram accounts to foster that sense of camaraderie — of being a part of something, even if it’s just living in the same town or going to the same college.
Young people have been at the forefront of this movement. While the creators of local affirmations accounts have often started them at random, with a fleeting thought of "wouldn’t that be fun?," many have gone on to have a big impact. New York University’s Affirmations account boasts nearly 9,000 followers. An Instagram account for the city of Richmond — not the college — has more than 11,000 despite being created late last year. Interestingly, it’s hyperlocal accounts — like this one dedicated to Western Washington state affirmations — that tend to have more success than those with a broad audience, like the entire state of Florida or New York.
The origin story
Running a localized meme account wasn’t exactly a goal harbored since birth for many creators. In fact, the 18-year-old creator of Western Washington Affirmations decided to start the Instagram when they heard about another successful local affirmations account — all the way across the country in St. Petersburg, Florida.
When a friend from St. Pete came to visit, they used the meme page as a first point of reference for the city. It worked.
"He wanted to show me the type of culture that was out there," the Western Washington Affirmations creator, who requested to remain anonymous, said of their friend. "I thought it was really funny. I was like, ‘This is pretty smart.’"
It didn’t take long for those ephemeral thoughts to take root. The creator wondered if their own area — Everett, Washington, about a 30-minute drive from Seattle, but more generally, the western side of Washington state — could benefit from this type of exploration.
So in October 2021, they made their first post — a map of the United States with overlaid text: "People do not ask if I am from Washington, D.C."
The start was slow — that first post only got 72 likes. But over time, they learned what worked and what didn’t. Targeted memes that skewered a particular city — "Bellingham people be like I know a spot" — were successful, but so were jokes that referenced the entire state as a whole. "I am grateful for another cloudy day," one recent post reads.
Covering western Washington as a whole yields a particular challenge because it’s the most densely populated part of the state — about 60 percent of Washington’s total population lives there. The region includes Seattle, the state’s most famous landmark and largest city by far, but also encompasses the islands in Puget Sound, including some with populations less than 1,000 people.
Their own life experiences allowed them to adjust for these regional differences fairly easily. After all, they once lived out on the islands. They understood what it was to be in a small town where everyone knew everyone and the "closest mall was two hours away," as they put it. Now, living only 20 minutes from Seattle, they see the opposite perspective.
"If you want to run a successful community-based account, you’ve got to be very aware of your demographics," the creator said. "Washington is a pretty big area to cover. There are a lot of hyper-specific places I mention that get a lot of traction. But more general stereotypes are also really funny. I can make something that’s like, ‘Oh, we all wear Patagonia’ — that’s something we would all agree on as a community."
Many of their ideas came from their 45-minute morning commute. This is a phenomenon that other meme creators subscribe to — B., the person behind Richmond Affirmations who prefers to be anonymous, derives inspiration from the experience of day-to-day life.
"The process is when I’m out living my daily life, I’m like, 'Is this a universal experience? Can I make a meme of this?'" said B.
Like the creator of Western Washington Affirmations, B. only started their account in the fall of 2021. They were throwing around ideas with a friend and thought that a meme page with hyperlocal Richmond affirmations could be funny. B.’s first post will be relatable to anyone who has lived in a city that purports to be bike-friendly. "My bike is impossible to steal," it reads. But they quickly drew inspiration from current events — like the snowstorm stand-still on Virginia’s I-95.
The process is when I’m out living my daily life, I’m like, 'Is this a universal experience? Can I make a meme of this?'
"I am 100% relaxed at this very moment," reads a post from that time with an image of snow-covered cars.
"This page stands in solidarity with everyone who’s been traumatized by I-95," the caption says.
NYU Affirmations started as a collaboration between three sophomores who lived together. When they crafted the Instagram account in April 2021, it was simply intended as a way to share funny inside jokes.
"Stern boys do not objectify me," reads one of their first memes, referencing the college’s business school. The text is backed by an image of two men wearing the business bro uniform — also known as a Patagonia vest and an oxford shirt. "Type yes to affirm if you are ready to start a loving and stable relationship with a NYU boy who is in your league and not a 6/10."
As the creators, who prefer to maintain their anonymity, grew into their newfound Internet fame, they experimented with the form, like a series of "if this character went to NYU" posts, including Harry Potter and Succession.
"This is your best post yet," said one commenter on a post that identified Hermione Granger as an international relations major.
"I remember thinking it was going to be a small account for our friends," one of the NYU Affirmations creators said. "It spiraled out of control obviously."
What does success look like?
For many meme creators, success is not a metric but a feeling. When people are routinely sharing and commenting on an account’s posts, that’s the sweet spot.
"As long as people are engaging with my posts and finding them funny, I consider it a win," said the Duke University undergraduate behind the Duke Affirmations account. "That being said, I was pretty excited when I broke 1,000 followers."
When B. watched Richmond Affirmations grow to 500 followers, that seemed like an accomplishment. Now, with over 11,000, that number seems quaint.
At the outset of NYU Affirmations, the creators were so flooded with messages that they didn’t immediately notice they had been added to a group chat with the administrators of other Affirmations accounts. When they finally joined, they were greeted as "the queens of affirmations."
They attribute their success to the unique duality of being an NYU student — everyone loves to hate the school.
"Not having an actual college campus sometimes makes you feel like you’re not a real college student. Your school is just a dumb part of your life," said one of the account’s creators. "It’s very different from most other college experiences."
As students of business and political science, the NYU Affirmations creators brought a true intentionality to the account. At its start, they posted three times a day and analyzed the success of each post, eventually ditching the morning update. But their real, upward trajectory started when NYU Chicks, the college’s Chicks and Barstool affiliate, shared the account on their story.
"They said, ‘This account is super funny,’" said one of the creators. "We got our first influx and our first spike in followers."
Keeping the accounts anonymous is a big part of what makes measuring success so interesting. It’s not about the people behind the screen, it’s about the account. That means that people like B. have had the odd experience of sitting next to someone at a bar talking about their account. The creator of Duke Affirmations overhears students discussing the latest post while eating lunch or walking to class. People send the creator of Western Washington Affirmations jokes they’ve created — all while not knowing the source.
"Part of the fun is the mystery of the account and who runs it," said the creator of Duke Affirmations. "Only my friends know it’s me. I really hope it stays that way for as long as possible. Who doesn’t like a good secret?"
What is community?
The intrigue and entertainment offered in a local Instagram affirmations account may get people to the door, but it’s the recognition that keeps them there.
"They make people feel seen," said Richmond Affirmations’ B. "We’re afflicted by the same things and we’re consoled by the same things. In a way, it’s processing our shared experience, whether that be upsetting or affirming."
It’s not just the viewers that benefit. So do the creators. For the maker of Western Washington Affirmations, talking to people from all over western Washington has exposed them to cities and places they may have previously judged.
We’re afflicted by the same things and we’re consoled by the same things. In a way, it’s processing our shared experience, whether that be upsetting or affirming.
And for the women behind NYU Affirmations, it’s been an inadvertent way to create the feeling of a unified campus. Sure, they may not have football games or a quad. But they still have Instagram.
"It’s such a big place and such an isolating place — everyone kind of feels like they’re on their own," said one of the account’s creators."But seeing that everyone else has these shared experiences, having mental breakdowns at 3 a.m., people find a certain comfort in it. It makes them feel like they’re not the only person at this school feeling like this."
Topics Instagram
