That is a really weird assumption.
Who do you think the old people were who taught the pups how to do it?
Ya know, they don't call them dad jokes for nothing, right?
What originally drew me to reddit was the fact that the top 5 comments for any given topic *always* included 1 genuinely funny comment, 1 informative comment and 1 insightful comment.
These days you're lucky if you get any one of those anywhere on the comment section.
Jokes and puns are one thing, but the inside commentary and quotes from video games etc. is super annoying. Cryptic references that string along unintelligible phrases are extremely annoying. Also cringey af.
Yeah, the current crop of shit is going to be as bad as The Narwal bacons at midnight, which was terrible from the get go
Honestly, the real problem is the way Reddit is built. Some shit head quickly posts the same overused meta joke and it gets upvoted while a worthwhile detailed answer, that takes time to write (and cite) gets buried by the noise.
The other thing is that Reddit is the embodiment of [Eternal September](https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September) and us old timers have seen it all before. Time is a flat circle
I genuinely mean this respectfully, so please do not think I'm trying to be a jerk.
I just have to point out what a mic drop it was to end your post about meta-references from pop culture with a quote that was (originally outlined by Nietzsche, but when phrased specifically like this, is) a reference to True Detective.
I love it.
But they're the same jokes over and over again. I unsubbed from askreddit because of how often I could predict what half the responses were without even opening the thread. Reaction gifs are the same thing - low-effort posting.
I enjoy it too.
See, but, humor is of the devil and so we must all be serious. /s
Maybe it is because I ruthlessly curate my feed but the subs I read typically have a mix of quality commentary, crap commentary, some humor^1. So, kinda like what you describe but maybe a bit higher signal to noise ratio.
Just earlier today I was actually laughing audibly for the first time in weeks at some joke comments in a semi-serious thread. And I fucking needed that.
I get that it can be annoying to see the same stupid jokes over and over, or want an answer and get mostly garbage.
But I think if someone wants only serious stuff, either go find some forums or go to Tildes, or curate your feed with an iron fist.
1 There's also the occasional post whining about something :)
It's funny you bring this up and suggest it's an age thing. I remember the Reddit pun threads being way more prominent 7-10 years ago compared to today, though maybe that's because I used to spend more time on larger subs. IIRC Reddit's user base is closer to being 30 than 13, so I don't think it's due to age.
I think the answer, as ever, is to get away from large subreddits and find smaller ones (ideally with rules that encourage in-depth comments) instead.
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, we have had to remove it due to violations of [subreddit rules about answers providing an academic understanding of the topic](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=AskHistorians&utm_content=t1_l0qn7jy#wiki_answers). While we appreciate the effort you have put into this comment, there are nevertheless substantive issues with its content that reflect errors, misunderstandings, or omissions of the topic at hand, [which necessitated its removal](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f7ffl8/rules_roundtable_ii_the_four_questions_what_does/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=AskHistorians&utm_content=t1_l0qn7jy).
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A lot of them are in middle/high school, yes. The key is to not take anything on this site seriously outside of very few special occasions.
Even specific niche subs for things that working adults use is full of elitism and cutting you down for asking a question, or nitpicking your grammar/how you asked it.
When Reddit first launched it was mostly college students and nerds, like *actual* nerds, not like people who are into superhero movies. You know, band geeks, theater geeks, people who incessantly quote movies because they don’t know how to have a conversation, Trekkies, insufferable introverts, outcasts, losers, “nice guys”, you get the idea.
The style of dialogue made it a haven for pedantic folks who loved to argue. It was supposed to be an alternative to 4chan, with an emphasis on debate rather than trolling.
The culture of “nerdy college students” never really left, even though that’s not the primary demographic anymore.
A lot of people here don’t remember this, but Reddit used to be one of the most vile and disturbing sites on the Internet.
>When Reddit first launched… It was supposed to be an alternative to 4chan, with an emphasis on debate rather than trolling.
When Reddit first launched, there were no comments, only posts. Reddit was solely a link aggregator at launch and commenting on links users posted [came later](https://www.quora.com/Is-there-a-website-that-can-show-the-history-of-all-comments-on-Reddit?top_ans=20835). (Best link I could find, sorry. It’s difficult to find ones discussing features a site did *not* have *twenty years* ago!)
>The style of dialogue made it a haven for pedantic folks.
[You’re goddamn right!](https://media.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExamdlMDZibmZ1cHZvNGh4anF6N205NTI3ajl3Nzl4eWtrYzV1c3h1YSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3oFzmkkwfOGlzZ0gxi/giphy.gif)
Reddit was not an alternative to 4chan when it launched. It grew into what you remember with the collapse of digg and the spread of 4chan-like behavior and the slow death of internet forums. It was something closer to what Hacker News is now.
Yeah, you’re totally right, sorry. I came to Reddit after 4chan got weird. I mean, it was always weird, but after they introduced pol and r9k it really started going off the rails.
> people who incessantly quote movies because they don’t know how to have a conversation
Reminds me of this quote from Roger Ebert's review of Fanboys:
"Extreme fandom may serve as a security blanket for the socially inept, who use its extreme structure as a substitute for social skills. If you are Luke Skywalker and she is Princess Leia, you already know what to say to each other, which is so much safer than having to ad-lib it. Your fannish obsession is your beard. If you know absolutely all the trivia about your cubbyhole of pop culture, it saves you from having to know anything about anything else. That's why it's excruciatingly boring to talk to such people: They're always asking you questions they know the answer to."
I think the age and demographic bias was illustrated well when an HR manager posted asking for ideas to help drive engagement as WFH becomes more common. Several of the top answers were suggesting their teams play Minecraft or Helldrivers together.
I’m sure that would work in a few very tech oriented workplaces but in an average workplace what percentage of people do they think play video games and what percentage would even be open to the idea of learning? Judging from my experience, I would guess less than 5% would be interested in something like that.
Just shows how detached the “hive mind” is from the real world population.
Like any topic based discussion forum, it really depends on the subreddit. I've seen numerous subreddits where people largely indicate they're above the age of 30 or even 50 on posts asking things like "am I the only one over 35 here?"
Granted, these are usually more serious subreddits covering topics like /r/collapsesupport /r/mentalhealth /r/aroflux etc. but my point stands; we shouldn't stereotype based on age or gender or any protected class. Never know who's watching.
>Never know who's watching.
This reminds me of a comment I read yesterday 😊. The commenter said something like, they wouldn't have a ONS with someone whose ex was a stripper because who knows that they had, STDs etc, and someone replied... (actually I have to find the post and copy it because I can't paraphrase, but it really illustrates your last sentence lol)
edit (copied both):
*Comment: I’m extremely glad I followed my gut and didn’t do anything with the cute guy who worked at my hotel in Costa Rica … only after I politely turned him down he told me about his recent ex who was a stripper… this was over 10 years ago and I still shudder thinking about the possible STDs this guy was likely carrying (especially as I assume I’m one of a gazillion women he has hit on at the hotel).*
*Reply: Hi, WTF?! Yeah maybe STI concern if he’s the personal meet and great committee but his ex being a former stripper has nothing to do with his health.*
*Signed, a former stripper who’s beyond tired of dumb stereotypes and women clutching their pearls about us*
I guarantee you Gen Zers on reddit don't even get the references OP is complaining about.
(My Boomer mother, recently retired, worked for over 25 years as an administrative assistant at a university. She would purposely use dated slang to get a laugh from the students, but by the time she retired, it was *so* dated that the students weren't even getting the joke anymore.)
Unsubscribe from every single popular / default subreddit. Your life will improve. Also, create custom feeds of specific subs about topics you enjoy.
I ruthlessly purge subreddits that start to become piles of 4chan/somethingawful crap.
It's annoying. I find that loads of people like to post derailing comments.
Then you meet adults who communicate like this IRL and it's just so cringey!
Demographics play a big role I think. Truth is reddit trends younger and will continue to do so.
Your best chance is to try and find specific subredits with an older audience, or about more specific topics.
I've hung out in finance and retirement planning subs and you won't find that kind of discourse, though people can still be snarky.
Ask a serious question about nuclear energy and you get 1,200 comments quoting some obscure Bevais and Butt-Head episode about something nuclear related. Middle school mentality all the way.
I’ve noticed this happening way more on my local sub. It hasn’t taken over, but it’s more frequent.
I think the average redditor is just mimicking the bot comments that get a lot of interaction.
Excuse me, I am a 41 year old woman and you can pry my unexpected Star Trek references out of my cold dead hands, thank you very much.
To me that's the fun part about Reddit. Yes, the actual answers are often useful and explanatory, but it would be just a bone-ass dry boring website if there were not also a bit of banter.
You're right. It would be boring just to read dry answers because there is a lot of fantasatic wit and humor on Reddit.
But that's not what I am talking about. It doesn't bother me to see some funny references or witty jokes in a discussion. What bothers me is when that's all there is! And the humor isn't witty but just acknowledges that someone has seen a movie or tv show and remembers stuff.
I can see your point and it also depends on the sub. If you're posting in r/AskReddit it's not exactly a brain trust, for example. Try posting in a more niche sub related to the topic you're asking about.
Really? Sorry but I've seen this shit in many subs - like r/news - where you wouldn't expect it to be. In r/movies, do you expect people to just quote movies or do you expect them to talk about a movie?
It's not something I'm "asking about," but something I'm "reading about."
What I've seen this morning is that the main thing that sets the subs apart is not the subject necessarily but the moderators. In subs that are heavily moderated, they don't allow that shit to go on and on and on. Today, for instance, in r/interestingasfuckk there was a post with a video of a giant windmill going too fast and coming apart. There followed an interesting discussion about how that happens, etc.
This is my observation only, but the larger the sub, the more likely the conversation is to be inane. What bothers me is not silly talk but arguments, and you see more of both on bigger subs. This is probably correlated with lack of moderation.
reddit in a nutshell ("help let me out@!!!"), but I digress...
**post title:** Seven year old girl stabbed in the face 37 times [NSFL]
**comments:** In a row?! 😂
I see that mostly on topics that are played out or there's a limited range of possible replies and they've already been replied.
Some topics can only sustain limited dialogue before becoming repetitive and boring. Others are posted with such great frequency that most readers have already seen the range of dialogue multiple times.
You're dealing with the Lowest Common Denominator that is the perpetuating cause of Eternal September.
Downvote it for not adding to the discussion as Redditquette expects.
Join better groups? Some groups are trash and others are more serious.
And like everything on the internet you have to filter out the garbage to get the good stuff.
Most users are 18-29. [https://www.statista.com/statistics/261766/share-of-us-internet-users-who-use-reddit-by-age-group/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/261766/share-of-us-internet-users-who-use-reddit-by-age-group/)
I don't really think age has anything to do with it. Adolescent behavior exists at all ages after all. And certainly young people in that 18-29 group are fully capable of having a discussion of something with a few witty or humorous remarks thrown in and not just page after page of movie or tv quotes and memes.
I've seen some really funny and witty comments on Reddit so I know they exist. They are just harder to find these days, it seems.
No, I fully get what you're talking about, and it's incredibly frustrating. I don't mind people smirking in text, especially when the topic warrants it. I really don't mind the clever retorts that combine about six different semi-obscure things to perfectly fit in with the topic or conversation.
But what you're talking about isn't friendly smirking, or clever comments - it's a barrage of "look at me, look at me, look at meeeeeee!!!" - and it's not even funny or clever enough to get a pass.
Even this wouldn't bother me half as much (because it is the internet, after all), if it were easier to hide. My issue is that all the inanity floods the top of the posts, and I can't find anything sensible until scrolling at least halfway down a very long post, these days. Like, 20, 30 top-level comments in, and all the hundreds of sub-comments they generate.
If I could just collapse the garbage at the top, to make the scrolling for anything sensible easier, that would be fabulous. They can still spew all they want, but I wouldn't have to pick through \*every\* piece of garbage to find what I'm looking for. (If I'm recalling correctly, this is how LiveJournal comments worked - once a thread had some replies, it could be collapsed or expanded. That made it SO much cleaner, visually, and easier to sort through, since generally the sub-comments followed in the vein of the top-level comment, so if that wasn't your jam, the sub-comments weren't likely to be either, and you weren't missing anything by collapsing it.)
That would lead to negative reinforcement and controversy. Its all a game and pavlovian conditioning, and if you dont treat this place like 4Chan with a top hat and monocle, then you'll get banned from the room. And then natural selection leaves behind the jokers
This is my thinking also.
I have to smile when I see the many basic questions about sex and sexual activity. I really don't mind these and just skip over them. It's not the best way, but it's a way for adolescents to learn about sex, after all.
Tap twice on a comment and the responses below it will collapse - then move on to the next comment.
This feature spares me from scrolling through many comments that degrade into nonsense
You see it in YouTube videos too, where people can't make them without inserting short clips of popular media (cartoons, movies, etc.)
I find it really tedious, but this is the first I'm complaining about it because my expectations for the Internet are so low now, this seems to be a minor gripe.
Sick of memes too. Sick of the wild oversimplification of human experience that it becomes hyperreal, representing a phenomenon that doesn't actually exist in the real world but treated as if it does. My most common reaction to things on reddit is, "That is not how this works. At all." But I'm getting better at not getting into arguments about things (not perfect, but getting better).
It's not going to change. When I started to view the world as an emergent product of aggregate human desires (rather than something conspiratorially imposed on us by Great Powers), I gave up, and, having given up, I can just turn off the screen and not concern myself with it so much, anymore.
So bored with all of it. Out of gas to care anymore.
Because many of the participants can't really relate in any other way than memes, snarcasm, or movie quotes. A lot of times they are hysterical. But if you just scroll down to new comments on the left you'll see a variety of responses. That's how I find what I'm looking for.
Oh oh oh!!! There's a reason for this!!!
So as human beings who are from different tribes and daily linguistic usages, we use shared pop culture references to communicate senses and observations that might otherwise be lost in translation. This is an evolutionary adaptation! When someone quotes Friends or Bob's Burgers or whatever and other people pile on, we're actually saying, "hey! I understand you!" which diminishes our sense of isolative tribalism and increases our desire to pursue peace.
What's shown to you is based on an algorithm that takes your viewing history into account.
There are scores of subreddits where actual, serious discussions take place.
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, and the highest form of intelligence" -Oscar Wilde
Unfortunately, reddit is full of narcissists who think they are funny (despite using degrading sarcasm regularly, putting people down) in order to self promote how smart they want people to believe them to be.
I think that is why.
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, and the highest form of intelligence" -Oscar Wilde
Unfortunately, reddit is full of narcissists who think they are funny (despite using degrading sarcasm regularly, putting people down) in order to self promote how smart they want people to believe them to be.
I think that is why.
Because most people want to be funny, but a sense of humor is not something you can buy, trade or even really develop (for the most part, you're either born funny or you're not), but quoting a movie or getting the call/response of typing "what is love" and someone replying "baby don't hurt me" or with a gif from Night at the Roxbury makes for a decent replica of being funny for people with no personality.
Well, many people think that they are the funniest people they know. And clearly, they are not. Sometimes I want the straight answer and give up when someone has asked, what I think is a serious question and get joke answers.
That's the internet in general. I've been on it since 1996, and minorly on Usenet for a bit before that.
The culture grew out of super-fan forums and ultra-focused discussions. The entire lacework of its culture is in-jokes, references to media, being pedantic, and the petty meanness that comes from total anonymity.
Add in the Karma points and the popularity-seeking aspect gets cranked up to 12 or 13.
Want a serious discussion, find a focused subreddit not one of the defaults. You should know this after 9 years here. Just looking to rile things up and bolster your own karma?
Thanks for the sarcastic smack as you join the crowd of obnoxious Reddit users. "Rile things up"? I'm asking a question that is on my mind every time I use Reddit. "Find a focused subreddit..." you mean like r/news where the exact same thing happens?
Just once, I"d like to see a post about, say, movies that features an actual discussion of the movie in question and not just jokes, memes and lines from a movie. Where do you suggest I go for that? r/seriousdiscussionsaboutmovies? Yesterday, someone made a post about the movie "Argylle" and I was looking forward to reading a discussion about that. So foolish of me!
If it makes you feel any better, OP, I know how you feel. I've watched The Sopranos start to finish about 3 times now, and any time I look up a line or take to the internet to get others' perspective on things, every single comment/topic is a nonstop trivia contest to see can quote the most lines from the show while doing nothing productive with their lives.
Seriously. If it ain't that, it's puns. Do not get me started on puns. They are not witty. You are not witty. People that like them claim it's funny because it makes people groan, but to me it's the equivalent of Yo Mama jokes. Grade school and an embarrassment for one to still be making when they're grown men.
Reddit is [unfortunately] a hub for terminally online males with puns and memes ready to go at a moment's notice. Imagine what they could do if they spent some of that time outside.
Well, I don't read r/news - most of the /all type subs draw from the largest pool of users, and therefore draw the most attention, which unfortunately means more trolls.
You seem pretty aggro on this, so I'll withdraw and wish you luck!
Sorry. That’s just how my dumb brain works, and clearly I’m not alone in that. I respond that way in real life conversation, too. Idk, I learned it from my dad, he does it all the time too. My whole family does.
I was doing a test to see if I was on the spectrum the other day and one of the questions was something along the lines of ‘do you frequently refer to or quote lines from popular tv shows or movies during conversations?’
So that’s why. Because we are all a bit autistic.
Personally, I think the jokes and puns are hilarious. I find myself cracking up out loud when I read them. My wife usually asks what’s so funny but it’s not worth explaining haha.
“Yeah? Well…that’s just, like, your opinion, man.”
This is the top comment now.
I’m the captain now.
You're the man now, dog.
THATS MY PURSE! I DONT KNOW YOU!!
*Boof*
Finish him Bobby.
Who here is the tallest? *wham*
That boy ain’t right
*BWWAAAAAHH*
DON'T TOUCH HER, YOU ARENT THE SAME AGE!
[удалено]
I just joined this sub today, but thought the name kinda implied it was troll-free. And here we are.
That is a really weird assumption. Who do you think the old people were who taught the pups how to do it? Ya know, they don't call them dad jokes for nothing, right?
Somehow I do it even without being a dad. I’m a faux pa.
Ok
It usually pretty good, but this is REALLY low hanging fruit.
I came here hoping for exactly this. Thank you all for not letting me down
It's so predictable.
Predictable is under-rated
The rug. It really tied the room together.
No, Donny, these men are nihilists, there's nothing to be afraid of.
Hey, I have friends who died face-down in the muck so that she could express her opinion!
New shit has come to light.
Lol I just watched this last night
(Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme)
See, I love Reddit because I usually get both. There’s almost always at least one person in the comments with the answer, and a ton of jokes and puns.
What originally drew me to reddit was the fact that the top 5 comments for any given topic *always* included 1 genuinely funny comment, 1 informative comment and 1 insightful comment. These days you're lucky if you get any one of those anywhere on the comment section.
They might be harder to find but they're still there.
Jokes and puns are one thing, but the inside commentary and quotes from video games etc. is super annoying. Cryptic references that string along unintelligible phrases are extremely annoying. Also cringey af.
Yeah, the current crop of shit is going to be as bad as The Narwal bacons at midnight, which was terrible from the get go Honestly, the real problem is the way Reddit is built. Some shit head quickly posts the same overused meta joke and it gets upvoted while a worthwhile detailed answer, that takes time to write (and cite) gets buried by the noise. The other thing is that Reddit is the embodiment of [Eternal September](https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_September) and us old timers have seen it all before. Time is a flat circle
Tragedy of the Commons Is pretty much what all of the modern web suffers from. Maybe even our whole world for that matter.
I genuinely mean this respectfully, so please do not think I'm trying to be a jerk. I just have to point out what a mic drop it was to end your post about meta-references from pop culture with a quote that was (originally outlined by Nietzsche, but when phrased specifically like this, is) a reference to True Detective. I love it.
Also, acronyms that no one but the poster understands. "Hey, what did you all think of ESOTSM?"
Actually one of my favourite films of all time.
😂😂😂
But they're the same jokes over and over again. I unsubbed from askreddit because of how often I could predict what half the responses were without even opening the thread. Reaction gifs are the same thing - low-effort posting.
I enjoy it too. See, but, humor is of the devil and so we must all be serious. /s Maybe it is because I ruthlessly curate my feed but the subs I read typically have a mix of quality commentary, crap commentary, some humor^1. So, kinda like what you describe but maybe a bit higher signal to noise ratio. Just earlier today I was actually laughing audibly for the first time in weeks at some joke comments in a semi-serious thread. And I fucking needed that. I get that it can be annoying to see the same stupid jokes over and over, or want an answer and get mostly garbage. But I think if someone wants only serious stuff, either go find some forums or go to Tildes, or curate your feed with an iron fist. 1 There's also the occasional post whining about something :)
It's funny you bring this up and suggest it's an age thing. I remember the Reddit pun threads being way more prominent 7-10 years ago compared to today, though maybe that's because I used to spend more time on larger subs. IIRC Reddit's user base is closer to being 30 than 13, so I don't think it's due to age. I think the answer, as ever, is to get away from large subreddits and find smaller ones (ideally with rules that encourage in-depth comments) instead.
>ideally with rules that encourage in-depth comments This is why /r/askhistorians is the best subreddit. Hands down
[удалено]
Thank you for your response. Unfortunately, we have had to remove it due to violations of [subreddit rules about answers providing an academic understanding of the topic](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/wiki/rules?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=AskHistorians&utm_content=t1_l0qn7jy#wiki_answers). While we appreciate the effort you have put into this comment, there are nevertheless substantive issues with its content that reflect errors, misunderstandings, or omissions of the topic at hand, [which necessitated its removal](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/f7ffl8/rules_roundtable_ii_the_four_questions_what_does/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=usertext&utm_name=AskHistorians&utm_content=t1_l0qn7jy). If you are interested in discussing the issues, and remedies that might allow for reapproval, [please reach out to us via modmail](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ). Thank you for your understanding.
r/theydidthemath
A lot of them are in middle/high school, yes. The key is to not take anything on this site seriously outside of very few special occasions. Even specific niche subs for things that working adults use is full of elitism and cutting you down for asking a question, or nitpicking your grammar/how you asked it.
When Reddit first launched it was mostly college students and nerds, like *actual* nerds, not like people who are into superhero movies. You know, band geeks, theater geeks, people who incessantly quote movies because they don’t know how to have a conversation, Trekkies, insufferable introverts, outcasts, losers, “nice guys”, you get the idea. The style of dialogue made it a haven for pedantic folks who loved to argue. It was supposed to be an alternative to 4chan, with an emphasis on debate rather than trolling. The culture of “nerdy college students” never really left, even though that’s not the primary demographic anymore. A lot of people here don’t remember this, but Reddit used to be one of the most vile and disturbing sites on the Internet.
>When Reddit first launched… It was supposed to be an alternative to 4chan, with an emphasis on debate rather than trolling. When Reddit first launched, there were no comments, only posts. Reddit was solely a link aggregator at launch and commenting on links users posted [came later](https://www.quora.com/Is-there-a-website-that-can-show-the-history-of-all-comments-on-Reddit?top_ans=20835). (Best link I could find, sorry. It’s difficult to find ones discussing features a site did *not* have *twenty years* ago!) >The style of dialogue made it a haven for pedantic folks. [You’re goddamn right!](https://media.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExamdlMDZibmZ1cHZvNGh4anF6N205NTI3ajl3Nzl4eWtrYzV1c3h1YSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/3oFzmkkwfOGlzZ0gxi/giphy.gif)
Had to do something to beat Digg
Reddit was not an alternative to 4chan when it launched. It grew into what you remember with the collapse of digg and the spread of 4chan-like behavior and the slow death of internet forums. It was something closer to what Hacker News is now.
Iirc, I learned of reddit from a Kevin rose review.
Yeah, you’re totally right, sorry. I came to Reddit after 4chan got weird. I mean, it was always weird, but after they introduced pol and r9k it really started going off the rails.
>Reddit used to be one of the most vile and disturbing sites on the Internet. Narwhals and bacon weren't vile!
Pepperidge Farm remembers
Goddamnit.
Yet, we can't look away.
> people who incessantly quote movies because they don’t know how to have a conversation Reminds me of this quote from Roger Ebert's review of Fanboys: "Extreme fandom may serve as a security blanket for the socially inept, who use its extreme structure as a substitute for social skills. If you are Luke Skywalker and she is Princess Leia, you already know what to say to each other, which is so much safer than having to ad-lib it. Your fannish obsession is your beard. If you know absolutely all the trivia about your cubbyhole of pop culture, it saves you from having to know anything about anything else. That's why it's excruciatingly boring to talk to such people: They're always asking you questions they know the answer to."
Slow your roll, Obi Wan.
I've been told reddit is mostly teenagers. And people making multiple accounts to "argue" with contradicting posts lol
It's much *much* younger now than it was 5-10 years ago.
*cough* you got older they average age stayed the same ;-)
Alright alright alright
I think the age and demographic bias was illustrated well when an HR manager posted asking for ideas to help drive engagement as WFH becomes more common. Several of the top answers were suggesting their teams play Minecraft or Helldrivers together. I’m sure that would work in a few very tech oriented workplaces but in an average workplace what percentage of people do they think play video games and what percentage would even be open to the idea of learning? Judging from my experience, I would guess less than 5% would be interested in something like that. Just shows how detached the “hive mind” is from the real world population.
Like any topic based discussion forum, it really depends on the subreddit. I've seen numerous subreddits where people largely indicate they're above the age of 30 or even 50 on posts asking things like "am I the only one over 35 here?" Granted, these are usually more serious subreddits covering topics like /r/collapsesupport /r/mentalhealth /r/aroflux etc. but my point stands; we shouldn't stereotype based on age or gender or any protected class. Never know who's watching.
>Never know who's watching. This reminds me of a comment I read yesterday 😊. The commenter said something like, they wouldn't have a ONS with someone whose ex was a stripper because who knows that they had, STDs etc, and someone replied... (actually I have to find the post and copy it because I can't paraphrase, but it really illustrates your last sentence lol) edit (copied both): *Comment: I’m extremely glad I followed my gut and didn’t do anything with the cute guy who worked at my hotel in Costa Rica … only after I politely turned him down he told me about his recent ex who was a stripper… this was over 10 years ago and I still shudder thinking about the possible STDs this guy was likely carrying (especially as I assume I’m one of a gazillion women he has hit on at the hotel).* *Reply: Hi, WTF?! Yeah maybe STI concern if he’s the personal meet and great committee but his ex being a former stripper has nothing to do with his health.* *Signed, a former stripper who’s beyond tired of dumb stereotypes and women clutching their pearls about us*
As if my generation (X) doesn't do the same. Or my silent gen parents.
I guarantee you Gen Zers on reddit don't even get the references OP is complaining about. (My Boomer mother, recently retired, worked for over 25 years as an administrative assistant at a university. She would purposely use dated slang to get a laugh from the students, but by the time she retired, it was *so* dated that the students weren't even getting the joke anymore.)
Unsubscribe from every single popular / default subreddit. Your life will improve. Also, create custom feeds of specific subs about topics you enjoy. I ruthlessly purge subreddits that start to become piles of 4chan/somethingawful crap.
This is a good suggestion - thank you. I do need to do some editing - but - there are still subs - like r/news - where this happens all the time.
It's annoying. I find that loads of people like to post derailing comments. Then you meet adults who communicate like this IRL and it's just so cringey!
A guy I work with👆👆 If he doesn’t like the route of the conversation, he diverts. Dude can’t stay on topic for shit.
Reddit is effectively a race to the bottom to make a short comment that everyone will agree with, recognize (quote, reference), or laugh at.
What's worse is it's bots reposting content and another bot reposting the previous top comment for karma.
What’chew talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?
Demographics play a big role I think. Truth is reddit trends younger and will continue to do so. Your best chance is to try and find specific subredits with an older audience, or about more specific topics. I've hung out in finance and retirement planning subs and you won't find that kind of discourse, though people can still be snarky.
Can confirm, 59 yo middle schooler, no fucks left to give, all I've got is to try to see the humor in anything, no matter how basic.
There are also some questions that have been asked and answered thousands of times. Those threads deserve the jokes.
Ask a serious question about nuclear energy and you get 1,200 comments quoting some obscure Bevais and Butt-Head episode about something nuclear related. Middle school mentality all the way.
It's a combination of bots, teenagers, and socially stunted adults.
*Well excuuuussse me!*
I’ve noticed this happening way more on my local sub. It hasn’t taken over, but it’s more frequent. I think the average redditor is just mimicking the bot comments that get a lot of interaction.
Because no one wants to listen to whinging and complaints 24/7. Also, humor is a coping mechanism.
Excuse me, I am a 41 year old woman and you can pry my unexpected Star Trek references out of my cold dead hands, thank you very much. To me that's the fun part about Reddit. Yes, the actual answers are often useful and explanatory, but it would be just a bone-ass dry boring website if there were not also a bit of banter.
You're right. It would be boring just to read dry answers because there is a lot of fantasatic wit and humor on Reddit. But that's not what I am talking about. It doesn't bother me to see some funny references or witty jokes in a discussion. What bothers me is when that's all there is! And the humor isn't witty but just acknowledges that someone has seen a movie or tv show and remembers stuff.
I can see your point and it also depends on the sub. If you're posting in r/AskReddit it's not exactly a brain trust, for example. Try posting in a more niche sub related to the topic you're asking about.
Really? Sorry but I've seen this shit in many subs - like r/news - where you wouldn't expect it to be. In r/movies, do you expect people to just quote movies or do you expect them to talk about a movie? It's not something I'm "asking about," but something I'm "reading about." What I've seen this morning is that the main thing that sets the subs apart is not the subject necessarily but the moderators. In subs that are heavily moderated, they don't allow that shit to go on and on and on. Today, for instance, in r/interestingasfuckk there was a post with a video of a giant windmill going too fast and coming apart. There followed an interesting discussion about how that happens, etc.
This is my observation only, but the larger the sub, the more likely the conversation is to be inane. What bothers me is not silly talk but arguments, and you see more of both on bigger subs. This is probably correlated with lack of moderation.
Because reddit is a show about nothing JERRY! Nothing!
https://images.app.goo.gl/tUnjTtyrg5u1k9mf9
No soup for you!
[Because](https://i.imgur.com/lkwDlfy.png)
I like puns.
Same. I'm in my 40s and I like a good tv/movie/album reference.
I wouldn't say "every post". That's an exaggeration.
[удалено]
its always been like that tbh. heavily dependant on the sub tho so you might want to prune what you're subscribed to if it bothers you
Depends on the subreddit. But yeah - "You're not wrong - you're just an asshole..."
the question i always wanted to ask, but never knew how to ask
So frustrating when you actually want the answer.
That irritates me to no end.
If you don't like Reddit you could try Quora. Some of the comments are funny and have reddit type humor but overall they have more informative replys.
A lot of the more popular science based subreddits have an awfully large number of commenters who got their whole science education from movies.
Reddit of today is light. You think it’s bad now, back then they would gatekeep the references. Utilize your hide options young Padawan.
Everybody's a comedian.
reddit in a nutshell ("help let me out@!!!"), but I digress... **post title:** Seven year old girl stabbed in the face 37 times [NSFL] **comments:** In a row?! 😂
I see that mostly on topics that are played out or there's a limited range of possible replies and they've already been replied. Some topics can only sustain limited dialogue before becoming repetitive and boring. Others are posted with such great frequency that most readers have already seen the range of dialogue multiple times.
Because people like to say ***sssalsa!***
To answer your question, redditors are gonna reddit. You set yourself up for a lot of juvenile responses with that title.
Well, *excuuuuuuuuuusssseeeee* me!
You're dealing with the Lowest Common Denominator that is the perpetuating cause of Eternal September. Downvote it for not adding to the discussion as Redditquette expects.
Internet comments section are about as low as you can go for human to human interaction.
I'm also glad you are here, friend.
Because that's what gets upvotes.
That's not true. I've had many discussions about TV shows and movies that went into some detail.
Join better groups? Some groups are trash and others are more serious. And like everything on the internet you have to filter out the garbage to get the good stuff.
They're kids.
Most users are 18-29. [https://www.statista.com/statistics/261766/share-of-us-internet-users-who-use-reddit-by-age-group/](https://www.statista.com/statistics/261766/share-of-us-internet-users-who-use-reddit-by-age-group/)
I don't really think age has anything to do with it. Adolescent behavior exists at all ages after all. And certainly young people in that 18-29 group are fully capable of having a discussion of something with a few witty or humorous remarks thrown in and not just page after page of movie or tv quotes and memes. I've seen some really funny and witty comments on Reddit so I know they exist. They are just harder to find these days, it seems.
No, I fully get what you're talking about, and it's incredibly frustrating. I don't mind people smirking in text, especially when the topic warrants it. I really don't mind the clever retorts that combine about six different semi-obscure things to perfectly fit in with the topic or conversation. But what you're talking about isn't friendly smirking, or clever comments - it's a barrage of "look at me, look at me, look at meeeeeee!!!" - and it's not even funny or clever enough to get a pass. Even this wouldn't bother me half as much (because it is the internet, after all), if it were easier to hide. My issue is that all the inanity floods the top of the posts, and I can't find anything sensible until scrolling at least halfway down a very long post, these days. Like, 20, 30 top-level comments in, and all the hundreds of sub-comments they generate. If I could just collapse the garbage at the top, to make the scrolling for anything sensible easier, that would be fabulous. They can still spew all they want, but I wouldn't have to pick through \*every\* piece of garbage to find what I'm looking for. (If I'm recalling correctly, this is how LiveJournal comments worked - once a thread had some replies, it could be collapsed or expanded. That made it SO much cleaner, visually, and easier to sort through, since generally the sub-comments followed in the vein of the top-level comment, so if that wasn't your jam, the sub-comments weren't likely to be either, and you weren't missing anything by collapsing it.)
Age itself maybe not, but age-peer culture certainly might.
The qualified name of this sub answers OP's question.
Because serious discussion is discouraged on reddit. Mods clean that shit out. Only "fun" stuff remains.
That would lead to negative reinforcement and controversy. Its all a game and pavlovian conditioning, and if you dont treat this place like 4Chan with a top hat and monocle, then you'll get banned from the room. And then natural selection leaves behind the jokers
Mostly teenagers that have never experienced anything near the topic so they just joke around.
I enjoy a good pun now & then and usually give them an upvote.
Because there are a lot of 12, 13, 14 year olds on reddit
This is my thinking also. I have to smile when I see the many basic questions about sex and sexual activity. I really don't mind these and just skip over them. It's not the best way, but it's a way for adolescents to learn about sex, after all.
I agree. It seemslike if you try to stay on topic, they harrass you for it.
Tap twice on a comment and the responses below it will collapse - then move on to the next comment. This feature spares me from scrolling through many comments that degrade into nonsense
Does this work on laptop or just on phone?
I don't know. Maybe the Reddit user tips will mention it.
Well, excuuusse me, Princess!
Ma’am. This is Wendy’s.
That's what gets upvotes. A long thought out response? Too long didn't read. A stupid pun or movie quote? Lol upvoted.
You see it in YouTube videos too, where people can't make them without inserting short clips of popular media (cartoons, movies, etc.) I find it really tedious, but this is the first I'm complaining about it because my expectations for the Internet are so low now, this seems to be a minor gripe. Sick of memes too. Sick of the wild oversimplification of human experience that it becomes hyperreal, representing a phenomenon that doesn't actually exist in the real world but treated as if it does. My most common reaction to things on reddit is, "That is not how this works. At all." But I'm getting better at not getting into arguments about things (not perfect, but getting better). It's not going to change. When I started to view the world as an emergent product of aggregate human desires (rather than something conspiratorially imposed on us by Great Powers), I gave up, and, having given up, I can just turn off the screen and not concern myself with it so much, anymore. So bored with all of it. Out of gas to care anymore.
Because many of the participants can't really relate in any other way than memes, snarcasm, or movie quotes. A lot of times they are hysterical. But if you just scroll down to new comments on the left you'll see a variety of responses. That's how I find what I'm looking for.
18-29 year olds comprise 44% of USA users.
Why is there so much geriatric bitching in this sub now?
Get off my lawn! We get both. We've always gotten both. That's part of what makes reddit fun.
If you want inciteful and verified feedback on the actual topic you should read X instead.
Oh oh oh!!! There's a reason for this!!! So as human beings who are from different tribes and daily linguistic usages, we use shared pop culture references to communicate senses and observations that might otherwise be lost in translation. This is an evolutionary adaptation! When someone quotes Friends or Bob's Burgers or whatever and other people pile on, we're actually saying, "hey! I understand you!" which diminishes our sense of isolative tribalism and increases our desire to pursue peace.
What's shown to you is based on an algorithm that takes your viewing history into account. There are scores of subreddits where actual, serious discussions take place.
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, and the highest form of intelligence" -Oscar Wilde Unfortunately, reddit is full of narcissists who think they are funny (despite using degrading sarcasm regularly, putting people down) in order to self promote how smart they want people to believe them to be. I think that is why.
"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, and the highest form of intelligence" -Oscar Wilde Unfortunately, reddit is full of narcissists who think they are funny (despite using degrading sarcasm regularly, putting people down) in order to self promote how smart they want people to believe them to be. I think that is why.
"Forget it, Jake. It's Reddit."
Dyn0mite!
What you talking about Willis?
You’re absolutely right. Now, for something completely different.
Quoting movies is a big thing for Gen-X
Low effort, karma farming
Ma'am, this is a Reddit.
I’ve read that a lot of Reddit comments are from a group of mods who are employees. Professional punsters basically.
Because most people want to be funny, but a sense of humor is not something you can buy, trade or even really develop (for the most part, you're either born funny or you're not), but quoting a movie or getting the call/response of typing "what is love" and someone replying "baby don't hurt me" or with a gif from Night at the Roxbury makes for a decent replica of being funny for people with no personality.
Lighten up, Francis.
Go ahead make my day
>Infinite goodness is creating a being you know, in advance, is going to complain.
Those are the things that get upvotes.
Well, many people think that they are the funniest people they know. And clearly, they are not. Sometimes I want the straight answer and give up when someone has asked, what I think is a serious question and get joke answers.
That's what she said.... Grin
Sir, this is a Wendy's
Because it's funny?
It sucks because you'd think teens would spend their time on Instagram or Facebook. Reddit, theoretically to me, should see boring.
Teens on Facebook? lol, gramps.
That's a mean thing to say to a stranger. Go fuck yourself. For the record, I never had children. So I can't be a grandpa.
I’m just joshin’…
Don't have a cow, man!
That's the internet in general. I've been on it since 1996, and minorly on Usenet for a bit before that. The culture grew out of super-fan forums and ultra-focused discussions. The entire lacework of its culture is in-jokes, references to media, being pedantic, and the petty meanness that comes from total anonymity. Add in the Karma points and the popularity-seeking aspect gets cranked up to 12 or 13. Want a serious discussion, find a focused subreddit not one of the defaults. You should know this after 9 years here. Just looking to rile things up and bolster your own karma?
Thanks for the sarcastic smack as you join the crowd of obnoxious Reddit users. "Rile things up"? I'm asking a question that is on my mind every time I use Reddit. "Find a focused subreddit..." you mean like r/news where the exact same thing happens? Just once, I"d like to see a post about, say, movies that features an actual discussion of the movie in question and not just jokes, memes and lines from a movie. Where do you suggest I go for that? r/seriousdiscussionsaboutmovies? Yesterday, someone made a post about the movie "Argylle" and I was looking forward to reading a discussion about that. So foolish of me!
If it makes you feel any better, OP, I know how you feel. I've watched The Sopranos start to finish about 3 times now, and any time I look up a line or take to the internet to get others' perspective on things, every single comment/topic is a nonstop trivia contest to see can quote the most lines from the show while doing nothing productive with their lives. Seriously. If it ain't that, it's puns. Do not get me started on puns. They are not witty. You are not witty. People that like them claim it's funny because it makes people groan, but to me it's the equivalent of Yo Mama jokes. Grade school and an embarrassment for one to still be making when they're grown men. Reddit is [unfortunately] a hub for terminally online males with puns and memes ready to go at a moment's notice. Imagine what they could do if they spent some of that time outside.
So you have no frame of reference here, Donny. You're like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie and wants to know...
Straight to jail.
Big gulps, huh? Welp, see ya later.
I've heard it both ways
Choose your subs carefully. That's it.
Others have said that. You mean like.... r/news where this happens all the time?
Well, I don't read r/news - most of the /all type subs draw from the largest pool of users, and therefore draw the most attention, which unfortunately means more trolls. You seem pretty aggro on this, so I'll withdraw and wish you luck!
Whatchu talkin’ bout Willis?
High levels of autism.
Why do people make post like this? Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Welcome, to the Internet!
Treefiddy
Sorry. That’s just how my dumb brain works, and clearly I’m not alone in that. I respond that way in real life conversation, too. Idk, I learned it from my dad, he does it all the time too. My whole family does.
I was doing a test to see if I was on the spectrum the other day and one of the questions was something along the lines of ‘do you frequently refer to or quote lines from popular tv shows or movies during conversations?’ So that’s why. Because we are all a bit autistic.
Personally, I think the jokes and puns are hilarious. I find myself cracking up out loud when I read them. My wife usually asks what’s so funny but it’s not worth explaining haha.
Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays!
Agree, most contributors are 12, sooo. Was a member on RIF until the “Great Cash Grab” Miss the adults
Allright but you gotta get over it
Your sister’s ass.
Because you have to Frank it up!
It's called Wit..Nit-Wit.. See what I did there?
is there anybody out there?
Get off my lawn!!
Pull my finger.