Inside The World Of @phillyaffirmations
BY KIKI VOLKERT | Life is about setting intentions. Sometimes all we intend to do, though, is to refrain from leaving with someone's husband when we're drunk at Woody's on a Wednesday. Luckily for us, @phillyaffirmations is here to help.
The account is a Philly-specific version of @afffirmations (note the three f's), which a lot of universities (e.g., @templeaffirmations, @drexelaffirmations) have copied. The person or being behind the account, who has requested anonymity, says that they "thought that it might be entertaining for Philly residents if I created a similar account!" Whoever they are, they seem to have magical manifestation powers that control the success of this account, which went from 8 followers last week to almost 27,000 by the time of this posting.
The instant success of the account seems to lie in the recognition and celebration of universal Philly experiences, the ones we didn't even know other people had. "There are so many quirks and specific inside joke type references that only people who live here understand. I think it makes Philly feel a little smaller seeing how many people relate to these hyperspecific things that only Philly residents get," says the account runner. Like Ben Franklin said, we all just want to feel a little less lonely knowing that we're not the only one that struggles with stealing from Wawa.
Pretty much any affirmation is fair game to post, but there are limits, says the account runner: "I wouldn’t want to post anything too hateful or controversial but a little tiny bit of that can be funny when it’s tastefully presented." It's good to know expressing sexual desire for Mayor Kenney is not beyond the pale. Most of the posts are received well by followers, but, the account runner says, some New Jersey residents took a post about New Jersey drivers being demons a little too seriously.
If you have a specific affirmation you'd like to see made into a post on @phillyaffirmations, you can submit using their Google form. The @phillyaffirmations account runner: "It feels GREAT helping Philadelphians manifest their dreams."
