https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/1ii5b4t/why_are_you_still_on_reddit/
created by Rainwillis on 05/02/2025 at 08:10 UTC
405 upvotes, 401 top-level comments (showing 25)
I’m in my 30s now and I’ve kicked a lot of social media to the curb but I’m still here. Any older Reddit elders that can weigh in on this for me?
Comment by AutoModerator at 05/02/2025 at 08:10 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Please do not comment directly to this post unless you are Gen X or older (born 1980 or before). See this post[1], the rules, and the sidebar for details. Thank you for your submission, Rainwillis.
2: /message/compose/?to=/r/AskOldPeople
Comment by cofeeholik75 at 05/02/2025 at 08:57 UTC
624 upvotes, 16 direct replies
I like being anonymous. I can say give my opinion without fear of being judged by friends and family. I can (hopefully) pass along a bit of wisdom to people asking for help (68/F). I can make a comment to someone who is down, or alone and sometimes that is all someone needs.. to vent or not feel invisible. I can keep up on what young people are doing these days. I love doppelgänger!!! I am a caregiver to my 93 year old mom, and I spend a lot of time in the caregiver sub just being supportive to others.
Comment by MinkieTheCat at 05/02/2025 at 08:25 UTC
551 upvotes, 8 direct replies
Less stupid memes, few video clips, it’s just people conversing for the most part. Since it’s arranged in subjects, if you wanna avoid politics, you mostly can.
Comment by Wiseness1037 at 05/02/2025 at 14:44 UTC
137 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I’m F71 and pretty much no one is interested in what I have to say. Here I have an opportunity to express my thoughts on different topics and read and engage with people. Levels the field. I’m not an old woman here. I’m just another redditor.
Comment by fatrockstar at 05/02/2025 at 08:35 UTC
85 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Anonymity. No real name requirement takes me back to the days where the internet was separate from my actual life.
If I'm honest here I might upset internet strangers and that's it.
Comment by dd4y at 05/02/2025 at 09:16 UTC*
73 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I've been on Reddit for 15 plus years, since the collapse of Digg. I'm retired. Over the years my interests have changed but there's always a subreddit for my passion-of-the-month. I don't post much, but there's a few subs I contribute to through the comments.
Comment by QuixoticCacophony at 05/02/2025 at 12:39 UTC
66 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I like to read, and I like intelligent discussion. I don't want to look at pictures or watch videos while I'm eating my breakfast. I want to read words. This is one of the only places left where people still write.
Comment by oxgillette at 05/02/2025 at 08:20 UTC
58 upvotes, 4 direct replies
I was on Usenet 30+ years ago and Reddit is pretty close to that.
Comment by phishmademedoit at 05/02/2025 at 11:57 UTC
46 upvotes, 3 direct replies
When I would Google something, I found the best answer was usually from a reddit page.
Comment by Kittenunleashed at 05/02/2025 at 08:13 UTC
155 upvotes, 3 direct replies
I dont know man, it's the only one that still seems semi normal.
Comment by othervee at 05/02/2025 at 08:52 UTC
31 upvotes, 1 direct replies
It's the closest thing to Usenet on the modern internet. You can curate your experience here to just hang out in the subs you're most interested in.
Comment by BKowalewski at 05/02/2025 at 14:02 UTC
31 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I only started using Reddit about 4 yrs ago after my SO died. I'm 73. My son set me up on it and told me I would have fun with it. It certainly fills up my early mornings spent alone wth my coffee. I enjoy a number of sites and use most of it a entertainment
Comment by Sufficient-Union-456 at 05/02/2025 at 08:13 UTC
29 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I work 12 hour night shifts. Lots of down time. I read a lot. But I am not much of a TV or movie watcher. Reddit kills time.
Comment by voidchungus at 05/02/2025 at 15:06 UTC*
25 upvotes, 4 direct replies
I've generally found that the smart people on reddit are smarter than the smart people on other forums, their voices are heard more easily, and the medium (more text-based) allows for better discourse. Redditors are also keen on making sure you come to the table with receipts, so it's harder to just make shit up because you will get called out and buried, instantly.
There are plenty of assholes and idiots, but I find them easier to identify, block, and tune out on reddit than elsewhere.
Comment by BunglingBoris at 05/02/2025 at 08:15 UTC
23 upvotes, 1 direct replies
It's anonymous,
Comment by OneStarTherapist at 05/02/2025 at 08:26 UTC
21 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Gotta do something when I poop.
Comment by thirteennineteen at 05/02/2025 at 13:38 UTC
17 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I had a 14 year old Twitter that I deleted in ‘22. I deleted my 14 year old Instagram this past weekend. I’m in my early 40s. Mastodon and Reddit are the social apps left in my life.
Why Reddit? It feels like the old internet. It feels like the comments threads on /. in the 00s.
Comment by Relax_Im_Hilarious at 05/02/2025 at 14:17 UTC
19 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Every once in a while you find some really incredible comments, conversations, and information on here. A lot of subject matter experts and the partial anonymity, with a karma system, encourages being honest rather than lying to impress others.
Reddit has its ups and downs but its one of the few places that you can filter the subject matter (and if you're brave) can also experience the 'all' page to see what's going on in the world.
Comment by paracelsus53 at 05/02/2025 at 08:18 UTC
17 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I like how it is divided up into topics. Reminds me of usenet, only mostly not as much trolling.
Comment by savedpt at 05/02/2025 at 15:34 UTC
18 upvotes, 2 direct replies
I am older. I like to read how younger people think on a variety of topics. It helps me understand their vision of the US, relationships, family, religion, the environment, financial opportunities and the world at large.
Comment by SuperTeacherStudent at 05/02/2025 at 12:43 UTC
29 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I have more control over the content I see on Reddit.
Comment by groundhogcow at 05/02/2025 at 12:41 UTC
14 upvotes, 0 direct replies
There are groups on Reddit that contain smart people who are knowledgable on particular subjects.
Then there is the noise...
Comment by ArdRi6 at 05/02/2025 at 13:23 UTC
13 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The amazing number of subreddits means that there is a scratch for every itch.
Comment by def_aza_post at 05/02/2025 at 13:57 UTC
12 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I’m 65M. I barely consider Reddit to be social media. It’s an entirely different animal than T/X and FB.
Here you can get real help on almost any subject.
Comment by BeBraveShortStuff at 05/02/2025 at 10:00 UTC
12 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Cat videos. Dog videos. I get to see the stuff that people are proud of, from their houseplants to their legos to the scarf they just knitted or the outfit they just put together. I get to read about how people were brave today, doing the thing that scared them. I found groups that have gone through similar crap as me and they’ve been very helpful. And I don’t have to scroll through 8000 ads to see what I want to see.