The Girlfriend Social Club: A New Way for Gen X Women to Connect

​Sometimes all you need is a friend. But finding like-minded women to share your hopes, accomplishments and troubles with while juggling work, kids and caregiving duties might prove more difficult than anticipated.

That’s why The Girlfriend, an AARP community for women age 40-plus, launched a new platform on May 22 dedicated to building connections and friendships among its members. The Girlfriend Social Club is a closed Facebook group moderated by AARP where Gen X women can connect, ask questions and share their personal stories.

“Women in their 40s and 50s are very often stressed out with their lives, taking care of children, [older] parents, perhaps still working full time, and they often don’t have the time to make connections with other women like…when they were younger,” says Shelley Emling, the executive editor of specialized content at AARP.

The Girlfriend Social Club aims to become an “escape hatch” from heavy news, a “safe space” and a place where women can navigate midlife together and rely on a welcoming community, Emling says. It’s modeled on another closed AARP Facebook group, The Ethel Circle, for women age 55 and over.

Members of The Girlfriend Social Club can share their own posts on everything from sex to parenting and caregiving, and will find curated information on a wide variety of topics. They can interact with women going through similar experiences and build strong relationships.

Since the group is closed, only members can see who’s in the group and what they post. AARP moderators allow Facebook users to join and screen for spam content. “A closed Facebook group…offers them the chance to connect comfortably without fear of judgment or anyone being a mean girl,” Emling says. ​So far, more than 1,200 women have become members.

Emling hopes that online friendships will lead to real-life connections. Members of The Ethel Circle often end up meeting in person. “Many women have messaged or emailed me since that group launched, saying that they’ve made their first real new friend in decades,” says Emling, who also oversees the Ethel Circle. “That really just warms my heart.”