Reddit, the online discussion platform that launched in 2005 and was once viewed as a place for nerds, is experiencing massive growth as people increasingly crave human interaction in a world flooded with artificial intelligence content. The site reported 116 million daily active users worldwide in its most recent quarter, a 19 percent increase compared to the year before, with women now accounting for more than 50 percent of users in both the US and UK and Reddit becoming the fastest growing social platform among UK women. Ines Tan, who works in communications, turns to Reddit regularly for skincare advice, reactions to shows like The Traitors, and help planning her upcoming wedding, calling it a very empathetic place where she has found help emotionally, logistically, and inspiration wise.
Reddit’s chief operating officer Jen Wong believes the platform stands out because it has preserved the original promise of the internet as a place of human authenticity, with popular topics gaining traction including parenting, reality TV, and skincare as the demographic has shifted from gamers and tech guys to being very gender balanced and strong with Gen Z women. Josh Feldberg, who started using Reddit 14 years ago after learning it shares resources for people with ADHD, says the platform’s anonymity offers quality comments and kind feedback without the egos present on other social media, noting that there is no economic incentive to post for free stuff or followers. Clinical psychologist Deborah Gilman explains that in a world of highly polished content on sites like Instagram and increasingly automated material, people look for signals of lived experience, disagreement, and nuance that Reddit’s anonymity and community norms provide through answers that feel more candid and less polished than influencer style content. According to a study commissioned by Reddit, it was found to be the number one most cited source across AI platforms like Google AI Overviews and Perplexity, but experts believe people are visiting because of threads about deeply personal experiences like going bald or going through pregnancy where you want to hear from others who have been there, creating connections you really cannot get elsewhere.
