Stories have always been embodied in human life. Narrating events has been a basic need of our species since the dawn of communication, but what in the past was an essential art for humanity to preserve different types of knowledge is no longer only used to document historical records, since it became one of the main tools we have for generating entertainment for different types of media nowadays.
Why are stories so fascinating to hear?
Listening to absurd events, whether tragic and/or with happy endings, creates some kind of interest in people that is difficult to understand, even more so if these are reports that sound so unreal that they would only be possible to find in novels, or in movies straight out of the cinema.
With the process of globalization and the advance of the internet, the sharing of personal cases expanded around the world and more people had the opportunity to communicate their words protected by a novelty that the virtual space made possible: anonymity.
Being able to articulate anything about your life without your family, friends, or acquaintances finding out about the author’s identity has made the internet a lawless place, yet perfect for writing and sharing narratives clear of being “judged”. That’s when Reddit comes in.
The Reddit Effect
I do remember exactly how I got to know Reddit. I was watching videos from a Brazilian youtuber that became very famous in the 2010’s, who I liked a lot, LubaTV, and in one of these clips, the influencer quoted a well-known Reddit community called “Am I The Asshole”.
The proposal of the video was to replicate what the community did: judge the stories of anonymous users in which they ask the online forum if they were an asshole in a certain situation. As an answer, the public should vote using the categories as is not an asshole, you are the asshole, no one is an asshole, everyone is an asshole or INFO: information is missing.
That theme was so appealing for so many people – myself included – that it ended up becoming a very popular subject on the channel, this being just one example of a phenomenon that was noticed with content creators on a worldwide scale, since today we have countless of YouTube channels, podcasts, and TikTok profiles that were created on the last couple of years, entirely based on this premise. The feeling of existing as someone seemingly important enough, with power to dictate somebody’s life, was what captivated me, and others, to continue watching and encouraging the creation of these videos.
Considering the online logic, judging other people is much more fun, easy and efficient than when it comes to our own lives, which generates a vicious cycle that moves the entire internet along. Reddit is living proof of this, in addition to this specific community mentioned previously, there are several others, extremely diverse, dedicated to a wide variety of interests, hobbies, topics and niches, fueling this current need for excessive exposure and seeking unbiased opinions from strangers at all times.
Over time, after reading so many posts you start to feel as an arbiter to them, an expert, and so the need to consider the community impression in your own personal debates also grows. Everytime that you face a hard time or a imposition in life you may wonder questions such as “If I tell this story of mine, what would people say?”, “Will this story of mine be well commented on?”, or even “Am I being the asshole here?”. They have all already passed through mine mind, and without any explanation, the thrilling of what they may say brings butterflies to my stomach, it’s addictive and fascinating, which is why this website has such a legion of ardent fans.
To sum up, curiosity, the tendency for gossip, online fraternity and the secrecy is what makes us seek the opinion of complete strangers. But what people seem to forget is that, sometimes, looking for something means finding what you don’t want: answers that bother you, upset you, or prove you wrong somehow.
But that’s the price to pay for being on the internet.
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The article above was edited by Rafaella Angelotti Alcici.
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