Reddit Rundown: the biggest talking points of the last month
Reddit has launched Reddit Rundown, a monthly breakdown of talking points that have recently happened on the website. Here is the February/March overview.
The announcement:
This February / March Reddit Rundown shares a glimpse into the most popular moments on-platform, wholesome stories of redditors coming together, and a few deep dives into various trends that have dominated redditor conversations. Here’s the TL;DR –
- Reddit Moments that spotlight the latest and greatest in Reddit stories and product updates;
- Entertainment community stories and conversations around r/kpop and the Kanye saga;
- Gaming subreddits that took off after video gaming releases;
- Wholesome stories that show how internet strangers are always able to come together;
- Travel communities that have witnessed subscriber growth as more people pick up their travel plans;
- Lifestyle posts and threads that shine a light on DIY and the ethics of fast fashion; and
- Reddit ‘Hot Takes,’ which are deep dives into various communities and trends, backed by data, that show what is bubbling to the surface in redditor conversation.
The TL;DR on February’s Biggest Moments
Reddit Moments
Reddit as the New Search Engine
- TL;DR: Hacker News published a bit about Reddit being a better search engine than Google. Users have started turning to a platform of real people rather than a variety of page results; and a TikToker took it upon themselves to create a meme on this phenomenon (which then made its rounds on Twitter).
- Some standout posts that spotlight the magic of Reddit include:
- r/NoStupidQuestions: “Is it just me or has googles search result quality massively gone down?” (36.8K upvotes)
- r/meIRL: Can’t buy a water bottle without consulting the water bottle subreddit rant (19.2K upvotes)
- r/NoStupidQuestions: Does anyone else use Reddit as their small beacon of light? (13.5K upvotes)
New Product Launches
- TL;DR: Reddit recently unveiled its Discover Tab – a new way for redditors to explore content, conversations, and find new communities on-platform. This is the first new surface update in two years and is something that will make it easier for new and existing users to search, discover, connect, and consume their favorite topics, join new communities, and find their passions.
- TL;DR: Last month, Reddit Talk welcomed a variety of new features. TL;DR on Reddit Talk – it is a live audio feature that allows redditors to engage with one another in real time whether it be an AMA, Q&A, or just to hang out. Now, redditors have the ability to replay Talks and use a playback bar to skip around, pause and unpause; and with the use of comments and emojis, redditors are able to have their voices ‘heard’ in real-time..
Entertainment
TL;DR: From the newest in music to celebrity stories, Reddit’s music communities are spaces to not only enjoy a variety of music genres but to also engage with one another about what’s happening in the industry.
- r/kpop – In its 11th annual r/kpop awards, mods of r/kpop launched their own community-run awards program, and many redditors crossed over to Twitter to celebrate their ‘wins.’
- The Kanye Saga – In response to Kanye’s statements on social media around his relationship with Kim, redditors created their own memes to poke some fun but also have serious discussions about Kanye’s ongoing struggles.
Gaming
TL;DR: Over the past month, a variety of communities rose to the top whether they be around new games, video game fashion, or streaming.
- r/Eldenring – After the release of the newest game, r/Eldenring became one of the most popular communities on-platform.
- r/EldenBling – This community is where gaming and fashion come together, and redditor, u/ThunderMcMuscleFist, decided to make their own meme that plays on the idea of video game fashion. Other favorite video game fashion communities include: r/reddeadfashion, r/warframerunway, and r/fashionsouls.
- r/ItemShop – Mash up r/IRLEasterEggs and r/Bossfight and you’ll get r/ItemShop, a community that posts interesting IRL things through the lens of a video game player. In the last year, the community has net ~+450 new subscribers daily.
- r/LostArkGame – After the developer of Lost Ark partnered with Amazon and launched the game to US / European audiences, the community rose to the top when the game surpassed 1M players on Steam.
Wholesome Stories
TL;DR: Redditors have been known to leave the URL space to create an IRL impact; and even though they may be internet strangers, redditors continue to find ways to support one another.
- r/autism – In the r/autism community, u/Sivart67 posted a video of sensory toys from his online shop. They later posted a thank you note to redditors after so many people in the community flooded OP’s (original poster) online shop that they crashed it.
Travel
TL;DR: As the world opens up, more redditors are visiting travel communities to identify places to visit, research the best tips and tricks, and share odd travel knowledge.
- r/vagabond – This travel community has recently seen steady growth (+16% increase in subscribers) and interesting user posts such as one redditor sharing a 2017 video of him standing on the roof of a moving train.
- r/hitchhiking – A redditor decided to pose the question “is hitchhiking legal in your state?,” and it turns out that hitchhiking is legal in almost all of the United States. A conversation about the feasibility of hitchhiking ensued.
Lifestyle
TL;DR: In the last month, the conversations around fast and ethical fashion dominated with redditors showcasing their own DIY creations.
- r/frugalmalefashion – A redditor spent $700 to find the best jeans for guys with big thighs and then shared an in-depth breakdown of ten different pairs he bought. He also made a YouTube video for anyone who wants to see the real-time fit.
- r/femalefashionadvice – This redditor responded to OP’s post about her fashion transition now that the pandemic is ending, sharing tips on how to effectively filter out your closet and avoid impulse buys.
- r/crochet – A redditor shared a tweet reminding people that “fast fashion + crochet is an oxymoron and shouldn’t be supported.”
- r/ethicalfashion – This stylist shared an array of photos of their upcycled, quilted jackets and asked the Reddit community for their thoughts.
- r/Visiblemending – Instead of throwing away a sweater filled with holes, a redditor decided to get creative and cover each hole with mini, colorful squares.
‘Hot Takes’ – Deep Dives Into Standout Communities
Here, Reddit dives into various communities, themes and trends dominating the platform – providing a peek into what trends and conversations resonate with redditors.Micro-Burst Travel
After two years, people are finally getting the opportunity to travel. But redditors swapped the question “where to next?” for “where to again?” – highlighting a platform trend that redditors are more interested in travel nostalgia than exploring new environments.
- Among travel conversations, there has been: +61% increase in mentions of “long weekends”
- +60% increase in conversations around domestic holidays
- +45% increase in conversations around “favorite places” to travel
- -33% decrease in mentions of one-in-a-lifetime trips
Some of the most popular travel communities over the last year are r/remoteplaces (+153% increase in visitors), r/travelporn (+110% increase in visitors), and r/europetravel (+101% increase in views). In the last year, there has been a +105% increase in conversations around balancing ways to enjoy life and the responsibilities (i.e. work) that keep people in one place. Consumers (and redditors) will continue to daydream and plan for the next vacation, and Reddit is a perfect place to not only discover a place to visit but also ask travel questions and learn from first-hand experiences.
Comfort Comedy
In a post-pandemic world, redditors are more inclined to spend their time watching shows that provide them comfort and a sense of nostalgia. Among all of Reddit’s TV and entertainment communities, one consistent theme stuck out – ‘comfort comedy’ – the idea of a kinder, gentler, and more comfortable laugh track.Some of the most popular, comfort comedy communities include:
- r/modern_family: +117% increase in views YoY
- r/dundermifflin: +106% increase in views YoY
- r/30rock: +106% increase in views YoY
Comfort comedy brings back a feeling of familiarity, and after a pandemic that led to heavy stress on viewers’ cognitive load, revisiting favorites has become increasingly popular.
Low Sodium Gaming
Surges of gamers are opting into communities where there’s only praise and celebration – cue ‘low sodium gaming.’ This rise of low sodium gaming, meaning ‘no salt’ (i.e. no negativity), has taken off on Reddit, spurring the creation of subreddits such as r/LowSodiumHalo, r/LowSodium2042, and r/LowSodiumCyberpunk.Other communities that provide ‘safe-havens’ for gamers are r/RetroGaming, r/Patientgamers, and r/TipofMyJoystick – three communities that bring back the nostalgia of fan favorites and are
welcoming spaces for gamers. Some of the most standout insights among low sodium communities include:
- r/Patientgamers increased +32% in subscribers (Oct ‘21 – Dec ‘21)
- Conversation in r/LowSodiumHalo increased +131% (Oct ‘21 – Jan ‘22)
- There was a +52% increase in new OPs (original posters) in low sodium communities (Oct ‘21 – Jan ‘22)
- Both r/RetroGaming and r/TipofMyJoystick saw an increase in views YoY – +48% and +63%, respectively
- And r/PixelArt and r/ChipTunes welcomed an influx of new subscribers – +92% and +82% YoY, respectively.
Low sodium subreddits give gamers an opportunity to discuss and enjoy a variety of video games in a safe and welcoming environment and reflect on the enthusiasm and appreciation that initially got them into gaming.
Source: Reddit Australia
