Reddit is one of the most visited websites in the world. The name Reddit comes from the English word “read it”.
The platform describes itself as“the front page of the internet“. Reddit is a kind of huge online forum: Many members are registered there anonymously. Anyone can post and comment on posts, links, images, videos, text or a poll. The basic principle of the site is based on attention: all posts have two arrows, one up and one down. When a post is clicked on, it leads to another page, where a message or video may appear. The more people like something, the more likely they are to click the up arrow, which causes Popular to become more popular.
Each post belongs to a so-called subreddit – a subcategory. Of these, around 150,000 are active. Members of the platform like to call themselves “Redditors.” Certain subreddits are particularly popular, such as iAMA, where the motto is AMA – Ask me anything. Celebrities and well-known people, such as Barack Obama, answer questions from the community here. YouTubers and streamers have their own subreddit where fans share funny memes with each other. A popular German subreddit “ich_iel” is short for “ich_im echten Leben” and the German version of “me_irl” (me in real life). Here, too, memes are exchanged, funny experiences are shared or questions are asked.
Redditors receive so-called karma points with their posts and comments. They show how active someone is on the platform and how well the content has been rated by others. A certain score may be relevant for inclusion in certain subreddits.
Reddit is not very attractively designed compared to other social media offerings. But it’s precisely the “wildness” of the platform that can appeal to young people. You can look around and discover exciting content that can’t be found elsewhere on the web. You can choose from many sub-forums according to your interests and get in touch with like-minded people.
As with other social media platforms, there can be interaction and communication risks: Unfriendly or even hate comments, fake news, unwanted contact from strangers, etc. Subreddits determine their own rules for submitted content. In addition to many funny, informative and stimulating communities on the platform, other subreddits also contain pornographic content or other images and videos that are not suitable for the eyes of minors.
Subreddits have volunteer, unpaid moderators who watch over the rules in their community. For example, you can delete posts or exclude users. In addition, Reddit has basic guidelines that all members must adhere to. Reddit employees monitor their compliance.
Reddit is not a platform for children. If you notice that your child is on Reddit, you should seek out the conversation. Ask what it is doing there and discuss possible risks from such platforms.
