5 ms·

Tell HN: As of today I'm swearing off Reddit

27 points by anm89 7y ago

Today I was told by reddit that if I wanted to view a subreddit, I would have to download the app. Instead I'm blocking the site and swearing off of it. I want to invite people to join me. I've slowly come to realize that of all the social media time wasters I use, reddit is by far the most insidious and damaging to the normal functioning of my thinking. I've had several times in normal conversation where I'd mention that some trend or fad was annoying me only to have everyone else I was with agree that they didn't find the thing to be that widespread. Every time i would think back as to why I was so hyperaware of that specific thing, it would come back to the fact that it was a mode of thinking that was super concentrated in the reddit echo chamber but probably not that prevelent outside of it. It is such an intense echo chamber, and it starts to feel normalized because I relied on it heavily as a crutch when I was bored and I was consuming the same content over and over again. I'm not going to say I never got any positive interactions out of reddit, but when I think back, those positive interactions are extremely few and far between and are drastically overwhelmed by repeatedly reading low quality content that made me question my sanity and the sanity of the society around me. I don't use Twitter but I have a feeling everything I'm saying applies there as well. It's not a healthy place and today I'm swearing off it. If If I could inspire anyone who feels similarly to make the shift with me, I would be happy to hear it.

sarcasmatwork 7y ago
Reddit has been a cesspool for a long time. When their CEO started editing posts, I left and stopped posting. I only read very specific subs, and anything out of those I dont take for a grain of salt. Def an echo chamber where anyone else's opinion gets down voted into oblivion. You're right, its not a healthy place.
ratsmack 7y ago
I opened an account on Reddit the first day they came online. I watched as the quality of posts degraded into nothing but senseless rabble driven by the desire of people clamoring for karma. I left about 4.5 years ago, which was about the time the censoring was beginning to become a problem. I look at it now and and it is virtually unrecognizable... I don't miss it.
samsquire 7y ago
What's an alternative?
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- Jamwinner 7y ago
  I personally think engauging with other people directly without a corporate intermediary is the way to go. /okboomer
- anm89 7y ago
  I think here is the best alternative. Something that mixed topic specific subs with the moderation and user base of HN would be ideal. For now I'm redirecting to https://slatestarcodex.com/ https://slatestarcodex.com/ which has a lot of content I want to get through and I always get something out of lurking around there.
agitator 7y ago
I agree. It's an odd site. Initially I though I liked it and had an idealistic view of it as a perfect democracy. You quickly realize that no such forum exists, especially as it gains popularity... which you would think would make it more democratic. It kind of leaves me with a sense of disappointment. Humans, by nature, won't ever realize a perfect democracy. We are too much of sheep, and care too much about feeling validated and included. Stupid evolutionary heard behavior gets in the way.
- madamelic 7y ago
  >Humans, by nature, won't ever realize a perfect democracy. We are too much of sheep, and care too much about feeling validated and included. I think you are placing too much blame on lurkers and every day commenters. The biggest issue is moderation. Moderators almost always have the power go to their head, they begin abusing mod tools and creating a repressed community rather than creating a community that fosters open and honest communication.
Jamwinner 7y ago
Good for you. Did it years ago when it sold to Conde Nast and the shadyness started fast.
blahneverdies 7y ago
Why does every disgruntled user/client/restaurant-goer feel the need to start a movement? Is it something about this generation, that must constantly have its feelings validated by others? If you already failed to heed others who never used the site, or quit it long ago, does that say something about your character, that you would want others to do now, what you hadn't done before?
- buboard 7y ago
  to be fair, the selling point of social media is to "start movements". And romantic ideas have large appeal, especially to younger audiences.
  - krapp 7y ago
    >to be fair, the selling point of social media is to "start movements". No it isn't, the selling point of social media is socializing and networking with real people. That's literally why it's called social media.
    - buboard 7y ago
      Cant forget the arab springs , twitter activism etc. I believe they capitalised on it
mortivore 7y ago
I'm still enjoying Reddit. I can consume whichever content I like, and filter out whatever I don't like. It really sounds like you were just engaging too much with the things that annoyed you. That said, time off from it will give you some perspective, and you may never go back. In which case, good for you.
- anm89 7y ago
  It's specifically the fact that I can no longer consume whatever content I want. By restricting subreddits to the app, I'm left to only engage with the front page which is a dumpster fire of political trolling and click bait. There are a few subreddits I'd still engage with but now that that is restricted I'm walking away.
buboard 7y ago
you can change your settings to old reddit. i never use new reddit or any mobile app. I also think of HN as a better moderated subreddit. Popular subreddits are of course horrible - there is non point going there. But there are well-moderated smaller communities depending on your interests. Twitter is a different kind of bubble, it has much more varied opinions and you can find likeminded people no matter how particular. Instead of echo chambers, you can think of them as incubators. Ideas need a supportive, nurturing environment to grow, they die in the wild. So small echo chambers are actually beneficial to the growth of new trends. I don't know, i m learning things through twitter / reddit / hn so i dont think they 're just huge time wasters, i can think of a lot worse things to do like TV or facebook/instagram.

27 points by anm89 7y ago

sarcasmatwork 7y ago

Reddit has been a cesspool for a long time. When their CEO started editing posts, I left and stopped posting. I only read very specific subs, and anything out of those I dont take for a grain of salt. Def an echo chamber where anyone else's opinion gets down voted into oblivion. You're right, its not a healthy place.

ratsmack 7y ago

I opened an account on Reddit the first day they came online. I watched as the quality of posts degraded into nothing but senseless rabble driven by the desire of people clamoring for karma. I left about 4.5 years ago, which was about the time the censoring was beginning to become a problem. I look at it now and and it is virtually unrecognizable... I don't miss it.

samsquire 7y ago

What's an alternative?

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
Jamwinner 7y ago
I personally think engauging with other people directly without a corporate intermediary is the way to go. /okboomer
anm89 7y ago
I think here is the best alternative. Something that mixed topic specific subs with the moderation and user base of HN would be ideal. For now I'm redirecting to https://slatestarcodex.com/ https://slatestarcodex.com/ which has a lot of content I want to get through and I always get something out of lurking around there.

agitator 7y ago

I agree. It's an odd site. Initially I though I liked it and had an idealistic view of it as a perfect democracy. You quickly realize that no such forum exists, especially as it gains popularity... which you would think would make it more democratic. It kind of leaves me with a sense of disappointment. Humans, by nature, won't ever realize a perfect democracy. We are too much of sheep, and care too much about feeling validated and included. Stupid evolutionary heard behavior gets in the way.

madamelic 7y ago
>Humans, by nature, won't ever realize a perfect democracy. We are too much of sheep, and care too much about feeling validated and included. I think you are placing too much blame on lurkers and every day commenters. The biggest issue is moderation. Moderators almost always have the power go to their head, they begin abusing mod tools and creating a repressed community rather than creating a community that fosters open and honest communication.

Jamwinner 7y ago

Good for you. Did it years ago when it sold to Conde Nast and the shadyness started fast.

blahneverdies 7y ago

Why does every disgruntled user/client/restaurant-goer feel the need to start a movement? Is it something about this generation, that must constantly have its feelings validated by others? If you already failed to heed others who never used the site, or quit it long ago, does that say something about your character, that you would want others to do now, what you hadn't done before?

buboard 7y ago
to be fair, the selling point of social media is to "start movements". And romantic ideas have large appeal, especially to younger audiences.
- krapp 7y ago
  >to be fair, the selling point of social media is to "start movements". No it isn't, the selling point of social media is socializing and networking with real people. That's literally why it's called social media.
  - buboard 7y ago
    Cant forget the arab springs , twitter activism etc. I believe they capitalised on it

mortivore 7y ago

I'm still enjoying Reddit. I can consume whichever content I like, and filter out whatever I don't like. It really sounds like you were just engaging too much with the things that annoyed you. That said, time off from it will give you some perspective, and you may never go back. In which case, good for you.

anm89 7y ago
It's specifically the fact that I can no longer consume whatever content I want. By restricting subreddits to the app, I'm left to only engage with the front page which is a dumpster fire of political trolling and click bait. There are a few subreddits I'd still engage with but now that that is restricted I'm walking away.

buboard 7y ago

you can change your settings to old reddit. i never use new reddit or any mobile app. I also think of HN as a better moderated subreddit. Popular subreddits are of course horrible - there is non point going there. But there are well-moderated smaller communities depending on your interests. Twitter is a different kind of bubble, it has much more varied opinions and you can find likeminded people no matter how particular. Instead of echo chambers, you can think of them as incubators. Ideas need a supportive, nurturing environment to grow, they die in the wild. So small echo chambers are actually beneficial to the growth of new trends. I don't know, i m learning things through twitter / reddit / hn so i dont think they 're just huge time wasters, i can think of a lot worse things to do like TV or facebook/instagram.