Why more people are joining this social media discussion app

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Sub's strike rate 100%"; "So sad to hear this. Hope they find the strength to go through this phase of their lives"; "Kusha was really into open relationships and Zor didn't want to continue?" - This writer got sucked into the world of Reddit last month when content creator and actor Kusha Kapila announced her separation from her husband, fellow digital creator Zorawar Singh Ahluwalia. A subreddit called r/InstaCelebsReddit started a discussion on the split, opening the pearly gates to raw, unedited gossip heaven. The comments were varied: Some expressed despair, some discussed theories, and some delighted at the fact that the subreddit had predicted the divorce.

The opinions may be real, but people commenting don't have their real faces on. We have usernames such as _burgandyonmyshirt, moonpiexox01 (expert snitch) and jaani_dushman - more anonymity, more audacity?

The gossip, the communities, the reviews and the general "let's do as we want, let's be who we are", vibe of Reddit is slowly drawing those bored of the ring lights and cube croissants of Instagram, or the tailored sarcasm of X. The registered users of the American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website are commonly referred to as Redditors. They submit content in the form of links, text posts, images, and videos, each of which is then voted up or down by other members. Posts are organised by subject into user-created boards labelled Communities or Subreddits.

Shruti Pednekar, Farzana Patowar, Rohan Chaubey and Anoop Mishra

On another day, we went down the rabbit hole at subreddit r/BollyBlindsNGossip, which has 573k followers. The topic of heated discussion: Why actor Deepika Padukone looked a bit uncomfortable while husband Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt chatted cosily at the head of the runway at the Manish Malhotra show. Another group was discussing ‘Bruh why are the kisses so forced and cringe?' referencing the smooches in the latest Karan Johar hit, Rocky and Rani Ki Prem Kahani. It was raucous and hilarious.

Subreddit r/BollyBlindsNGossip, which began in February 2018, says that their members observe celebs and post observations as topics, which transmutes into gossip at some point. Though few members post gossip direct sources, when asked whether the site verifies their content, the response the anonymous moderators of the community was, "We have no means to verify the source of gossip posted by members. We used to remove all ‘Original Gossip' posted via ‘Source'. [For instance] The news of Alia's pregnancy was broken on this Sub at the time of Alia-Ranbir's wedding. We removed it as we felt it may be a fake/prank by a member. After this, we decided to let members post original gossip under the tag ‘Exaggerated claims: no sources, no proof'. It is up to members to cross question and decide to believe or discard it. Members who want to post OG gossip also insist on remaining anonymous. If someone says they are a celebrity and wants to do an AMA [Ask Me Anything], we request a picture with a placard. We have a dormant Twitter [sic] account where we ask for verification via DM."

In a world without strict guidelines, who draws the line? "We are okay with all kinds of gossip except outing someone's sexuality, and about celebrity children," says the moderator. "We allow #MeToo allegations after cross questioning. We remove all posts and comments that incite hate against vulnerable groups, or use abusive language. We are also against the culture of ‘ban and boycott Bollywood brigade'."

According to the traction data provided to the subreddit by Reddit, they get 9.3 million page views per week. Approximately, 200 posts are submitted and 1,500 new members join subreddit every day. "Why it's so popular and important is because it is a safe place to interact with like-minded people and debate freely with opposite views," the moderators told us in an email interview.

That's what fans of the social media platform say as well. Entertainment writer Farzana Patowari logs in most of the time "to read trash comments about people. I feel some kind of joy… it feels so good to see people being honest. Unlike Instagram, where we are always thinking about what is the right thing to say or not, here we can be politically incorrect." The last post she really enjoyed was the one where actor Ileana Dcruz posted a photo with her "alleged" lover. "People were wondering if it was a footballer, and some just saw it as a publicity stunt."

"Of course, it's gossip," says Patowari, who checks the app last before she hits the sack. "But sometimes, it's legit information. I also like that many people talk about their communities. For example, I used to live in Pune, and people would talk not only about civic issues, but also where to go, where not to go."

Dombivli-based Shruti Pednekar feels that Reddit is a raw, real, and saner world. "It's anonymous so no one is judging you," says the video producer, "and you can be real and say what you want, without thinking ‘who is approving [of] my words?' I am very active on Reddit - I leave comments, and ask questions about anything and everything… And if I am disturbed by a thread, I exit the post. If you are on Reddit, know that people may say anything, so don't take anything personally and leave if it's not going down well with you." Pednekar spends at least two hours a day on the platform, much more than she spends on Instagram.

As of February 2023, Reddit ranks as the 10th most visited website in the world, according to Semrush, which works in keyword research and online ranking data. Many experts say that since its inception in 2002, the site has grown year on year, been lauded for building a community and helping raise funds for various issues, even though it has been criticised for its propensity to spread potentially dangerous misinformation. In 2021, it was valued at US $10 billion, with advertising revenue contributing $350 million. In 2023, so far, it has 55.79 million daily active users and 1.660 billion monthly active users.

Rohan Chaubey, who runs the community r/GrowthHacking, with 37,000 members, says that his subreddit is a good way to use the platform. Chaubey has written The Growth Hacking Book, which talks about using traditional and non-traditional media to hack your way to growth, especially as a startup. "There are no ads, and no targetted audience," he says. "The only way to use Reddit is to tie your business with conversation. There are many niche and intellectual communities too. There is also a lot of Not Suitable For Work content. I have reached out to many people, and I get a lot of work on it. But, you can actually find all kinds of information - Fix your PC? Sure. Want to find a place to eat/stay in Hyderabad? Sure."

It is social media PR Strategist Anoop Mishra who puts all this in perspective. "Platforms such as Reddit and Quora are being preferred now, as there is no filtration, and thus, the reviews are real. Brands and creators should be here - because organic conversation and growth is better than platforms where you need to do stunts to be relatable," says Mishra. He advises brands to embrace Reddit, Medium and Quora because the authentic product reviews can help their business. "Now," he says, "Facebook doesn't offer organic reach. So a brand would rather put their product up on Reddit, get reviews, and let people read them and buy. Also, people can leave reviews in their own languages. It doesn't get better than that."