The Binary Rivalry: Reddit vs Tumblr

I feel like if I'm going to be discussing the different discourses of the internet, it is especially necessary to dive into the nuances of different social media and how the ideologies different websites hold function. To begin, I'd really like to emphasize the role of the vocal minority. Those who are the most vocal and most well known are not always an accurate representation of an entire community, nor are the views they hold necessarily morally correct or acceptable.

I’m not one hundred percent sure about how this post is going to turn out. I could very well hate what I’ve written by the end of it, but this is a topic I’m interested exploring myself and ranting about in a way to help organize my own thoughts. Hopefully it will be clear enough for my readers and provide some insight into the kind of binary that has been manufactured between two of the biggest social media websites, Reddit and Tumblr.

Also, I might say some controversial stuff, so feel free to disagree with me. I’ll try to remain as unbiased as possible.

To begin, it’s quite easy to see a gendered divide between the two. Reddit is a very male-dominated environment and the general age range is in the 18-29 demographic (Madrigal, 2013). On the other hand, Tumblr is more female-dominated, however the general age is within the 25-34 age demographic (Tumblr). This is not to say that the website itself is populated by more men or more women on either side, it is more to say that the content itself is geared towards one gender. In reality, the gender split is about 60-40 for each website, leaning towards the already established ‘dominant’ gender (Graham, 2013).

The phenomenon I want to explore is the hatred that is exchanged between these two websites.

A portion of Reddit paints Tumblr as a feminist infested, overly ‘safe-space’ that is populated with Social Justice Warriors. In comparison, a portion of Tumblr believes Reddit is overrun with misogynists and racists who are overly aggressive and have no concept of empathy.

Once again, I’d like to remind you that this has been in my own personal experience of frequenting both websites, as well as emphasizing the vocal minority from each.

In reality, I can see where both sides are coming from. But, I can also see the over dramatizations that have been created and perpetuated on both sides.

For example, Reddit’s point of view can be argued by the simple observation that yes, a lot of women on Tumblr are feminists. Considering the website is used 60% by women, it can be inferred that a percentage of them will label themselves as “feminists” given present day connotations of the term. As I mentioned in a previous blog posts, online communities are a place where people can come together with those of similar experiences or interests to feel accepted and/or validated. People of different sexual orientations, races, beliefs, etc, are all able to congregate on parts of Tumblr. Those who are not privileged by society have a large platform and lots of support to speak out, which grants them the negative connotation of “Social Justice Warrior”.

This is not to say any of these issues are not abused or over-exaggerated, I am simply pointing out how the characterization of the people on the website can be extracted from some truth.

Reddit’s criticisms can be validated by looking at subreddits such as /r/theredpill (which is incredibly misogynistic, treating women like animals), or even /r/worldnews which is known to have incredibly racist point of views in regards to current world events. However, there are quite literally thousands of subreddits that have nothing to do with either racism or sexism, such as /r/aww, /r/citiesskylines, /r/blop, /r/kerbalspaceprogram, etc! I find that people forget how easy it is to hear opinions reiterated in social settings that become echo caves. To characterize a whole diverse group of people as both misogynistic and racist is kind of incredibly misleading.

Again, this is not to say any of these issues are not abused or over-exaggerated, I am simply pointing out how the characterization of the people on the website can be extracted from some truth.

It’s actually quite easy to avoid both of the ‘negative’ aspects on each website, as content is able to be easily catered to a person’s interests. Yet, both sides like to complain about how the other’s point of view is somehow invalid or horrible. I find it especially ironic when people on Reddit like to complain about how much Social Justice Warriors get offended by everything, yet they seem to be more offended by the idea of SJW’s complaining. Similarly, when Tumblr points something that is incredibly offensive out and says that “white people” or “cisgender people” are the root of all evil, someone on Reddit calls it out as wrong and they end up the bad guy.

It feels like Tom and Jerry, where both are trying to achieve similar goals, but they go back and forth by beating on each other. Both sides could theoretically be left well enough alone, letting their vocal minorities be restrained to their corners of the internet. On the flip side, there’s very little people on the internet enjoy more than arguing with other people on the internet, especially when both sides have such opposing views.

Then again, that’s just it. These two communities have such dominant subcultures that the internet has created and allowed a platform for expression and discussion of any views, whether morally correct or not. Some people are just passionate enough to speak out about their views, and for that I have to applaud them.

Perhaps, dear readers, you could help me shine some light on this topic and give some insight on this topic, or even your opinion on my views. I feel like maybe this post was a bit rambley, but I enjoyed writing it nonetheless.

Sources:

Graham, M. (2013). Information Geographies. Retrieved March 07, 2016, from http://geography.oii.ox.ac.uk/?page=gender-and-social-networks

Madrigal, A. (n.d.). Reddit Demographics in One Chart. Retrieved March 06, 2016, from http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/07/reddit-demographics-in-one-chart/277513/

Tumblr: U.S. user age distribution 2015 | Statistic. (n.d.). Retrieved March 06, 2016, from http://www.statista.com/statistics/244209/age-distribution-of-tumblr-users-in-the-united-states/

#Tumblr #Reddit