The student-run meme account is surprisingly honest
By CORALIE LOON — features@theaggie.org
What do you look for in a college-related Instagram account? Maybe it’s a sense of community or access to Davis-specific information. But if you’re also interested in hyper-edited memes of common UCD student conundrums, you might just want to follow the Instagram account @ucd_affirmations, which won Best Davis-Specific Instagram Account with 51.8% of the votes.
This account is a safe haven for sarcastic “affirmations” that mimic the slightly distressed voice in your head, reminding you (half-convincingly) that everything will be okay.
One post says: “I will lock my bike on the first try. I will not blame myself for standing there incompetently and rather blame the lock for being so hard.” Another says: “Sleeping my life away is not an indication of my poor mental health. I am fine.”
The admin of @ucd_affirmations, who wished to remain anonymous, created the Instagram account around fall quarter of last year after noticing a lack of UCD-related meme accounts.
“Every time I had a minor inconvenience, I would just make a meme about it and heavily edit it,” the admin said.
Since then, the account has gained over 5,000 followers and many supporters.
“I’ve gotten a very overwhelmingly kind and supportive response from everyone,” the admin said. “It was a really big shock seeing how the account grew so fast. It made me really happy to see what happened because of it.”
The page has been a cathartic way to build community from both shared experience and shared humor. Elizabeth Steinbach, a fourth-year political science and statistics major who follows @ucd_affirmations, explained how the account could make positive changes for some students.
“It actually brought some stuff to light that students just didn’t have an official platform for,” Steinbach said.
Robert Vergara, a third-year environmental science and management major, has been following the account since October of last year. As well as following them because of their hilarious memes, which he feels are a nice pick-me-up in the middle of a stressful day, he also appreciates the emotional support.
“Their occasional Q&As compile useful advice and tips about navigating undergraduate life from other students, which gives the account a collaborative and grounded feel,” Vergara said. “Overall, a 10-out-of-10 account that undoubtedly deserves the Best of Davis title.”
We can’t wait to see what else @ucd_affirmations has to offer and what future meme accounts will rise to the surface next.
Written by: Coralie Loon — features@theaggie.org
