UVA’s Exclusive Social Network Is Bringing Back the Early Internet. But Will It Last?

On January 29th, posters started popping up all over Grounds for Pages, an early-internet-style social network launched with the tagline, “Just to see what happens.” The website, pages.so, is reviving an old-school approach to social networking—one that feels like a nostalgic nod to Facebook’s early days, when it was exclusive to college students.

For now, Pages is only open to UVA students, and in just two weeks, 399 students have joined. The homepage even includes a playful counter: “17,186 to go,” a clear reference to its goal of recruiting the entire student body.

With its red-and-white minimalist design, the site leans into the aesthetics of the early internet—a refreshing contrast to the hyper-polished, ad-filled social media platforms we’re used to today. But Pages isn’t just about the throwback feel. It has features designed to bring UVA students together in ways that mainstream social media no longer does.

How Pages Works

When you create a profile, you’re asked to fill out:

• Year, major, and location
• Dating classification (relationship status, but make it college)
• Other social media accounts
• A bio (Mine: “You can catch me scrolling on social media, running to UJC & Honor for a trial, or sitting through a student council meeting.”)
• Three photos of yourself
• Your “SPOTS”—places where people can typically find you on Grounds (I put Rotunda 3rd Floor, West Range Café, and Mad Bowl)
• What music you’re listening to and what books you’re reading, have read, or loved

But what makes Pages stand out from the usual social media formula is its two most innovative features:

1. Class-Based Connections: You can input your current courses, allowing you to automatically find and friend classmates. Before this, you actually had to talk to people in class (blegh). Now, Pages does the work for you—socializing, but make it low-effort.
2. Anonymity, With Options: The site gives you the ability to toggle between anonymous and non-anonymous posting. Building off similar, college-oriented social media app YikYak’s anonymous culture, Pages assigns you a randomized name and lets you pick a blob avatar when posting anonymously. However, you can also post with your actual name and face, a feature YikYak doesn’t allow. If you really like a post, you can even like it in both anonymous and non-anonymous mode—a clever way of balancing free speech with accountability.

This fluidity between anonymity and identity makes Pages feel more flexible than traditional platforms. Some users will thrive on Pages fame, openly posting and interacting, while others will lurk in the shadows, liking posts as an anonymous blob.

The platform already sees daily posts from users eager to make their mark before the inevitable flood of new members. The question is, will you be one of them?

What’s Next for Pages? The Mystery Continues

Historically, college-exclusive social networks have been a stepping stone to something bigger—either growing into a worldwide platform (like Facebook) or selling to a larger company (like YikYak did).

Curious about Pages’ long-term plans, I reached out for an interview. They were nice enough to agree—but not reliable enough to actually respond to my follow-up questions.

So, is Pages’ future just as anonymous as some of its posts? Or did they, like the rest of us, just get too busy with midterms and forget to answer their emails?

One thing is clear: Pages is growing, and what happens next is anyone’s guess. Maybe it’ll become UVA’s next big thing. Maybe it’ll fade into internet obscurity. Maybe—just maybe—it’ll actually stick around, proving that there’s still a place for college-exclusive social networks in the era of TikTok and Instagram.

Only time will tell.