Baddies and Buddies: Creating Friendships and Support Around the World
A group that I have been a part of for a few years now is called “Baddies and Buddies’ and was originally called “Girls Helping Girls With Girl Stuff”. The main purpose of this group is for people to be able to discuss things going on in life and get opinions from others. The main member demographic for this group are people who identify as women between the ages of 18 and 30. The posts range from small things like outfits for a date to dealing with things such as death or deeper issues. This group has become a community for many people where ideas, experiences, and opinions are shared and people are there to support.
When you decide to join the Facebook group you have to agree to the group’s rules. The group rules are clear regarding age, respect to other members, not sharing information with members outside of the group, promotions or Venmo requests, content and trigger warnings, etc. These rules are made clear consistently and the admins/moderators follow through to make sure the group is following them.
The admin/moderators have created ongoing threads regarding specific topics to be handled in the thread where everyone can find information. A few examples would include Covid-19, the election, and more. By keeping these posts inside the threads it is easier to be contained and does not clog up the feed with similar posts throughout the day.
As you can imagine, there are times when some posts can cause people to become opinionated if they don’t necessarily agree with the original poster. The admins do a fantastic job hopping in and reminding people of the group rules and that we are there to assist the poster, not demean or bring a person down. Most of the group does keep this in mind when commenting on a specific post when they share helpful feedback or constructive criticism.
For me, this group has been extremely helpful. I have asked for help on a multitude of different occasions. From helping me with cat training to dating advice, I have received help from people all over the world. Quite a few people in the group feel the same way. With permission from the members, I will share the thoughts of two of the members.
Overall, I really have appreciated this group and the support it has given me and others around the world.
