What is Reddit?

Updated: May 16, 2019

Reddit is known as “the front page of the web” and is living up to the hype. Reddit ranks as the 5th most popular site in the U.S. and 18th most popular site worldwide. Reddit is a plethora of content compromised of endless forums.

Users can share news, stories, videos, pics and memes in subreddits. Users can communicate with one another; commenting on forums and voting on posts read. Registered members can submit content to the site such as links, text posts and images. Posts can then be voted up or down by other members.

Reddit is available for use directly from their site or from their app. The Reddit app is available for Apple and Android.

So How Does Reddit Work?

Homepage & Searching on Reddit

The Reddit homepage hosts the top posts from each default subreddit. There are over 50 default subreddits, such as gaming, memes, funny, news and pics. Members can customize their feed to reflect their interests. This way, you’ll only see posts from subreddits you care to join.

A search bar is present at the top of the Reddit homepage. Users can enter virtually any keyword or subreddit name to search for content. Search results can be narrowed by applying filters such as posts on the rise, news, ratings, popularity, level of controversy and location.

Subreddits on Reddit

A subreddit is a community. Members can create a subreddit about any topic. Subreddits begin with “/r/”. For example, the tech support subreddit required a URL address that reflects as “…/r/techsupport”. Each subreddit is maintained by a moderator. Moderators are volunteers that stay on top of posts within the subreddit.

Upvoting & Downvoting on Reddit

Each post can be upvoted or downvoted. Once a reader has read a post, they can decide to upvote or downvote a piece - depending on their level of enjoyment. If a piece is upvoted, its visibility on Reddit is increased. Alternatively, if a piece is downvoted, it’s visibility on Reddit is decreased. Essentially, readers are judging the pieces they’ve read.

How to Sign Up for Reddit

Reddit is free to use. Readers can become members in just a few clicks – create a username, password and verify your identity on the homepage. Once this is complete, members can start sharing content.

The Reddit Gold membership runs $4 per month or $30 for the year. This premium membership gives upgraded members the opportunity to test out new features before they are released to the entire Reddit community. This membership also grants members access to the /r/lounge, which is the subreddit for top contributors. Reddit Gold can be gifted to friends, family or fellow Reddit community members.

Top Subreddits of 2019

If you’re on Reddit, you’re guaranteed to find something you’ll love. Here are some of 2019’s top subreddits:

1. /r/MemeEconomy – A spot for more memes than you know what to do with.

2. /r/IAmA – A spot for all kinds of people to introduce themselves and/ or hold an informal Q&A.

3. /r/InstantRegret – If you enjoy silly videos of people making instantly-regrettable choices, then this is the spot for you.

4. /r/NatureIsFuckingLit – A spot for all things nature; enjoy the true beauty of the world via pics, videos and GIFs.

5. /r/PhotoshopBattles – A spot for users to upload photos that are in need of some fine-tuning. Fellow users can tweak and remix photos, as well as sift through Photoshop tutorials.

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