One of my favorite parts about girlhood is the group chats. As a seasoned group chat member, I would describe the group chat as a collective diary where each person contributes in their own unique way. It becomes a collage of pictures, funny memes, TikToks, rants, plans, therapy, crashouts, advice, and so much more. Under all the brainrot, laughter, and tears, the group chat is a direct reflection of the depth of a friendship. Personally, group chats are practically a part of my daily life, and I honestly live for the random updates. Group chats warm my heart because even when things get busy, it’s a great way to maintain friendships. But how exactly are the friendships preserved? Let’s start our lesson of the anatomy of a girl’s group chat:
Late-night therapy sessions: The group chat never sleeps, and be it through voice notes, long paragraphs, or screenshots of the notes app at 2 a.m., the group chat serves as a 24/7 mental health checkpoint. Some of the most deep, perspective-altering conversations occur through these late-night conversations. As the person going through it, someone will always come to your rescue and be your therapist with no credentials. As someone who has been on both sides of this situation, I would describe these heart-to-heart chats as the essence of the group chat. These moments really foster connections, even if you’re across time zones, and go to show that you will always have a shoulder to cry on, even if it’s a virtual one.
Comedy Central: The group chat is nothing if not the funniest thing you’ll come across. Like, I can’t explain it, somehow it’s a shame your friends aren’t stand-up comedians. Through fiery responses, sarcastic remarks, funny edits, and random TikToks or dark humor, the group chat can really have you laughing your %$# off. For this reason, I’d equate this as the mouth of the group chat; it never shuts up and always has the next joke ready to roll off its tongue.
The Board of Directors(Emergency Session: Boy edition): Just like the board of directors in real life closely monitors the actions of their company leaders and the company performance, the group chat acts as your board of directors for all matters of the heart. They are a scary group to deal with. Whoever it is you’re talking to or talking about, they will be judged via a 360-degree performance review. Every text sent, every action taken (or not taken), everything will go through rounds and rounds of review by a group of people who follow the principle of the person in question being guilty until proven innocent. As a member of this board myself, it’s so fun, and on the flip side, nothing is more nerve-racking than bringing up your new beau to the group chat. Overall, I compare this function of the group chat to the face being the facial expression of the group chat on all boy matters is very easy to read.
Celebrations and rants: For ups and downs, wins and falls, the group chat comes through. It’s so joyous to be able to celebrate your wins and congratulate others on theirs, especially if you can’t be there in person for these happy moments. On the other hand, when life is causing you to go through it, nothing holds you up more than being able to have those serious, vulnerable, and advice-filled discussions. For this reason, I’d assign this part to be the hands of the group chat; it can applaud for you and yet hold your hand when you need the extra support.
The daily updates: Even on the grind or on mundane days, it’s fun to chat about what others are up to and share what you’re doing. Be it a story about something you heard or saw, or classic updates like “ok, just grabbed my coffee now I gotta walk to class,” they keep you engaged. Daily updates are like the eyes; you get glimpses into everyone’s lives in the most human way possible.
With this, we conclude the lesson on the anatomy of girls’ group chats. Group chats serve many purposes, and I’m so grateful that technology has advanced to enable such a feat. The final thing to remember is that, whatever happens in the group chat ABSOLUTELY stays in the group chat.
