Reddit is making an excellent Internet leap, and even social media giants like Facebook are feeling threatened. Little did anyone realize that a discussion platform would one day unite all the young netizens and become more popular than its fellow contemporary platforms.
Reddit is a social news aggregator, web content rating, and discussion platform for those who don’t know. It gives everyone a roof under which they can vent out their frustrations and participate in online debates on their favourite topics ranging from politics and sports to technological advancements. In short, Reddit has got the ball rolling already, and young Indians are flocking to join the discussion.
So, what’s behind the rise of Reddit from a niche site for nerdy discussions to one of the biggest social networking sites?
Finding ‘Your’ People:
Unlike other social media platforms which has users sharing things you don’t care about, Reddit has users sharing things you care about. Whatever you are interested in, from memes to cat pictures, you will find a community centred around it. There are no-limits to niche-based communities on the platform.
Your Personal Space:
Reddit doesn’t stop at finding your interests; you can curate your own experience too. Like others, it populates its home screen with the most popular subreddits, while those who have signed up with the platform can customise their subreddits so that they get a personal experience. In this way, you can populate your home with only cat pictures or discussion threads on the latest episode of your favourite show.
It is true that other platforms too offer curated content in terms of your likes. However, the Reddit algorithm is far different and less mysterious as compared to them. Also, it’s far easier to find niche groups, and the sheer dedication and devotion of the users to participate and contribute to the discussion will dwarf any other platform communities.
Information Hub:
The young users believe that the platform has opened their eyes, shed light on many topics, and cleared their uncertainties. They find the discussion threads very informative and do not face any privacy issue, and feel more secure than other platforms. At present, the platform has over 130,000 sub-forums and communities and discussion threads that allows Redditors to post their content.
Having said this, Reddit has played the long game well and is currently winning. The recent Reddit-fueled surge in GameStop’s stock prices in the US proves that community-driven, organic content is still the king when it comes to garnishing more engagement. Although, at present, Reddit is not as bullish in India as other social networking platforms but ‘acche din’ are indeed round the corner.
