Why I Stopped Using Reddit: 7 Personal Experiences (2022)

Why I Stopped Using Reddit: 7 Personal Experiences (2022)

Even though Reddit is definitely one of the most popular websites out there, there are also a lot of people who have stopped using the platform after a couple of negative experiences. For example, some people believe that Reddit can be quite toxic sometimes, while others simply can’t access the site anymore because Reddit has been banned in their country.

Here’s Why People Have Stopped Using Reddit

Whatever the reason may be, the problem of people quitting Reddit is most definitely very real. Here are a number of personal experiences of former Redditors who have now quit the platform and are happier because of it.

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Reddit moderators are a constant source of controversy

“There are a number of reasons why people might choose to quit Reddit. Some users may find the site too difficult to navigate or understand, while others may simply grow tired of the constant updates and changes. My reason for choosing to quit Reddit is due to the moderator team. The Reddit moderators are a constant source of controversy, and I feel that they are not doing their jobs properly. In addition, the moderators often delete posts without warning or explanation, which can be frustrating for users. Sometimes, they will also ban users for no apparent reason. For these reasons, I have decided to quit Reddit. As a result, quitting Reddit can be a way to avoid dealing with the moderators entirely.”

– Burak Özdemir, founder of the Character Calculator

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Pessimistic and not an ideal environment for entrepreneurs

“The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, there is a mostly acknowledged, built-in pessimism to the platform which doesn’t encourage entrepreneurship. Secondly, there is this strange dynamic where the overwhelming majority of users interested in business on the platform are at the starting stages. Once a business has either failed or succeeded, they no longer are active on the platform. This creates a vacuum of wisdom and experience that is deeply felt.”

– Luben Redwood, owner of DontPlayWithThat.com

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Security reasons 

“In recent years, Reddit has come under fire for a number of reasons. First, the site has been criticized for its handling of personal data. In 2015, a hacker obtained the names, email addresses, and passwords of millions of Reddit users, leading many to question the site’s security measures. Second, Reddit has been accused of allowing hateful and abusive content to proliferate.

In 2016, Reddit banned a number of hate groups from the site, but many users felt that this was not enough. Finally, some users have simply grown tired of the site’s format and community. For these reasons and others, many people have chosen to quit Reddit altogether. While the site still has a large and loyal following, it remains to be seen whether it can regain the trust of those who have left it behind.”

– Oberon Copeland of Very Informed

Aside from security reasons, Reddit sometimes also has issues with its servers, resulting in it being down sometimes. The hate speech comments are also one of the reasons why Indonesia decided to ban Reddit.

Why I Stopped Using Reddit: 7 Personal Experiences (2022)

Better for mental health

“I once was a heavy consumer of Reddit which had its good moments. However, as Reddit is widely anonymous, some threads can be extremely toxic, which is why I left. I realized that spending time there wasn’t good for my mental health, and it was starting to affect my thoughts off Reddit, so I deleted my account and it was a very good decision!”

– Omar Abdalla of Racket Rampage

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Overwhelming and discussions aren’t constructive

“I recently removed my account from Reddit. My impression is that a lot of conversations become very unconstructive. People had great inputs, but they were unwilling to accept those from others. Eventually, I feel Reddit became a platform for exchanging things without coming to good conclusions or resolutions. I felt very overwhelmed at some point and realized it was taking me too much time to read through all the relevant answers. Recently, they weren’t even that relevant, usually mainstream topics.”

– Andrew Makhovskyi of Effy.ai

These useless, unconstructive discussions are also one of the reasons why many people believe that Reddit is quite cringe.

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Hive mentality

“I quit because Reddit as a whole promotes a hive mentality and discourages conversations in general. You can have a conversation on sensitive topics while being kind and civil but when it comes to Reddit if you say something someone doesn’t like or the majority of the subreddit doesn’t agree with your ideals/point of view they’ll try to bury your opinion with constant downvotes which in effect blocks you from any positive interaction on the site. Not only that you or in this case I received quite a few nasty DMs from these people which leaves a sour experience overall. Reddit does have rules against this behavior but the admins of the subreddit refuse to enforce them, also by not following the hive point of view you can get banned as well. All that gets accomplished by participating in an environment like that is potential damage to self-esteem. Also nowadays there is a requirement of making verification posts for every single subreddit which is very annoying as well. So in the end after being a user for one year and being actively part of r/news, r/India, r/gaming, r/tech I finally deleted my account and I can confirm I am able to be both more productive and happier than being a reddit user. So totally happy with my decision.”

 – Mimi Paul of Starkflow.co

Why I Stopped Using Reddit: 7 Personal Experiences (2022)

Subreddit mods ignore complaints

“I quit Reddit because of the attitudes of the admins towards harassment and other sensitive issues. I followed a conversation (subreddit) where someone was harassed, and the admins and mods ignored it despite their attention being called severally. I was also a subjected to targeted harassment because I had a different opinion in a conversation. I reported to the mods, but my complaints were ignored, and that made me log off and delete Reddit from my device. Reddit Admins play the caucus game where certain people are given special treatment on the platform. Reported issues, especially harassment, are merely attended to.”

– Maria A. McDowell of EasySearchPeople

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Summary: why people quit Reddit

If we take a look at all the personal experiences that were sent to us, it’s clear that a lot of people have tried using Reddit but aren’t completely happy about what’s going on on the platform. Reasons for deleting Reddit accounts can range from unconstructive discussions, constant downvoting by other users or toxic behavior in general, disagreements with a subreddit’s moderators, and sometimes even security concerns.

Have you deleted your Reddit account or are you considering stopping using Reddit?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Paul Alexander

About the author

Paul Alexander has a Master of Science degree in Communication Studies and is a licensed teacher in Flanders, Belgium. He's been passionate about writing and technology ever since he was little and has more than ten years of experience in the vastly interesting world of consumer electronics and social media. He is also the founder of ByteHaps.com.

4 thoughts on “Why I Stopped Using Reddit: 7 Personal Experiences (2022)”

  1. I decided to delete my account and leave that site for good as well.

    It’s true that people there do have a black-and-white point of view (and can’t even bring themselves to agree to differ). Browsing that site non-stop would leave me angry and stressed out all the time (and even developed a pessimistic worldview along the way, I’m currently working on unlearning all of that and changing my worldview into a positive one) and I realized that it isn’t good for my mental health.

    If you’re thinking of leaving reddit, don’t think, just do it. Trust me, you’re better off without it and you won’t miss anything from there.

    Reply
  2. Thank you for adding your personal experience, Matthew. Definitely have had mixed experiences on Reddit myself.

    Reply
  3. The problem with Reddit is, a toxic environment and abuse of power by moderators.

    If you post an opinion that the mob redditors don’t agree with, you WILL be harrassed, bullied and downvoted because they don’t agree with your opinion. Moderators are the majority of that problem. No one is policing the police. Gross injustice and abuse of power.

    Reply
  4. The concept of Reddit makes it almost like some sort of brain washing platform. Down voted posts being hidden concerned me.

    People are echoing one and the same opinion, making it sensless to read anything beyond the first couple of replies.
    Anything serious mentioned quickly turns into a threat of silly banter.

    Reddit is a road to nowhere. A mod banned (and threatened) me from a sub after a harmless discussion. When I asked for what I got banned, the mod told me : ‘You don’t fit in this community’.
    I got more concerned about what is going on on Reddit for a mod to behave like this and send such messages to users. I quit Reddit therefore. I was there only 2 or 3 month.

    Reply

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