Can Reddit transcend echo chambers and foster meaningful dialogue by embracing Aristotelian rhetoric for virtuous online discourse?
On the way home, you get bored and decide to doom scroll, packed in the confines of a crowded MRT train carriage at peak hour. You scroll listlessly through the applications on your phone and decide to tap on a specific bright orange icon to read comments about the latest news, the angsty relationship ramblings of strangers and the occasional funny meme, cute animal or thought provoking scientific fact. Like 3.3 million other Singaporeans, you are a Reddit user.
Like in ancient Greece, Reddit functions as a digital agora, a modern-day public forum where individuals gather to deliberate on anything under the sun, topics both trivial and profound. However, instead of having notable philosophers and highly paid sophists stand around us to impart their wisdom, the most upvoted member in the community is now king–just about anyone can now be an armchair commentator in the 21st century thanks to Reddit, if they have enough upvotes. In their effort to make Reddit the ‘front page of the Internet’, upvotes define the platform, and determine the visibility of content. This, while intended to be democratic and curate the ‘best’ Internet comments to the forefront, can be detrimental and reductive to the cultivation of true rhetoric.
Reddit: A Sanctuary for the introspective essayist, an interest group for everyone
First and foremost, it is worth acknowledging that Reddit remains an invaluable haven for many—an alternative social media platform catered to those who crave depth over flashy trends and graphics. Unlike the rapid-fire, image-driven feeds of TikTok and Instagram, Reddit thrives on thoughtful discussions, making it a refuge for introverts and deep thinkers.
Here, users can seek advice, vent frustrations, and dive into meaningful debates. The platform’s anonymity is liberating for many, allowing individuals to express themselves without the baggage that may come with exposing their true appearances and identities.
Active Reddit users may also face the stereotype of socially awkward “keyboard warriors” who experience a false sense of intellectual supremacy through asserting themselves online. The default assumption is that those active on the platform struggle with real-world social interactions and turn to Reddit as a primary means of connection. While no direct studies have mapped Reddit’s personality demographics, Liu and Campbell’s (2017) meta-analysis on internet behavior suggests that introverts do gravitate toward text-based platforms. Reddit’s appeal lies in offering a platform for discourse through written correspondence without the exhaustion of real-world social demands.
Pitfalls of the Reddit voting system
Paradoxically, while Reddit encourages free speech, its voting system discourages contrarian ideas.
“Vote. If you think something contributes to conversation, upvote it. If you think it doesn't contribute to the community it's posted in or is off-topic in a particular community, downvote it.” –Reddiquette
Echo chambers expose users only to information that aligns with their views, limiting exposure to opposing perspectives. Many such echo chambers have ample fertile ground to fester on Reddit, as it is human nature to engage with like-minded communities, and controversial events often create polarisation and arguments on the Internet.
False dichotomy, a logical fallacy presenting only 2 sides to a multifaceted issue, can be perpetuated by the binary upvote system. It risks glossing over nuances that exist in issues discussed in the Reddit sphere. Alternative viewpoints or informative comments that may not directly be related to the discussion topic at hand may be made less visible, with the most popular opinion/post pushed to the top.
The bandwagon effect occurs when Redditors agree or disagree with a post/comment just because many others are doing so. Thus, a well-reasoned argument in the wrong subreddit might very well be downvoted simply because it is contrary to popular opinion. This is fertile soil for polarisation and extremism (as evidenced by the proliferation of manosphere, extremist political groups on the platform).
For many, Reddit can thus become a battleground of egos due to the above logical fallacies it perpetuates. Brigading—a form of harassment involving mass downvoting to silence opposing viewpoints has harmful effects on a user’s mental health over time. Reddit's upvote system also fosters a dopamine-driven feedback loop, tying users' egos to their "karma" scores. This reinforcement encourages continued selective engagement, encouraging users to parrot the same ideas and frequent the same subreddits to maintain their ‘karma’.
My take: How to be a virtuous Redditor that Aristotle senpai would approve of
Breaking through this fog of reinforcing beliefs and poor Internet etiquette demands that users critically examine the narratives they write and encounter, actively confronting their own biases—no simple task. That’s why I suggest we look back to an era when philosophers shaped discourse: we need Aristotelian rhetoric. Virtuous discourse which respects the individual and has the propensity to broaden worldviews, isn’t about asserting universal truths, but what resonates with a specific audience for better persuasion. Thus, I believe Aristotelian rhetoric is rather applicable on such a space like Reddit where diverging opinions inevitably coexist. Rhetoric which accomplishes the greater good can be distilled into 3 key pillars (yes, they go beyond the confines of the compulsory Writing and Reasoning mod):
Ethos (Character): To be deemed a reliable speaker, one’s credibility and moral character are instrumental for persuasion. The surefire way to embody a good moral character on Reddit is not to take part in inflammatory commenting, and posting only content that adds value. According to Aristotle,a virtuous person stays true to their words and actions. Hiding behind anonymity to say what one wouldn’t in real life reflects a lack of moral courage and integrity.
Pathos (Emotions): Being in tune with your target audience’s interests and appealing to sentiment (not in a manipulative way) enhances the effectiveness of an otherwise sterile argument built on cold hard logic. Consider someone’s personhood even though you strongly disagree with someone on the Internet.
Logos (Logic): Of course, logic is the backbone of argumentation. A well-substantiated, factually sound stance will appeal to readers.
Concluding thoughts of a critical Reddit lurker
I have ambivalent feelings towards Reddit. While critical of the simplistic, binary upvote system of Reddit, I remain a lurker as people’s unfiltered opinions are a pleasure to read–albeit a voyeuristic type of enjoyment, peeking into the lives and thoughts of others. Whether it be absurd satirical posts concocted by bored minds, the dime-a-dozen relationship posts and rants, they never fail to draw me back in.
For all its flaws, Reddit remains a fascinating place to me, and I believe, to many others–a digital microcosm of the entire spectrum of the human experience. However, to cultivate a truly healthy and enriching online space, it might serve us well to look at Aristotelian rhetoric—rooted in the pursuit of the greater good and offer a framework for more meaningful, respectful discussions. This will ensure that Internet discourse connects individuals, thriving beyond logical fallacies and tyranny of the majority.
References/ Reading List:
Efstratiou, A., Blackburn, J., Caulfield, T., Stringhini, G., Zannettou, S., & De Cristofaro, E. (2023). Non-polar opposites: Analyzing the relationship between echo chambers and hostile intergroup interactions on Reddit. Proceedings of the Seventeenth International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM 2023). https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10499719
Graham, T., & Rodriguez, A. (2021). The sociomateriality of rating and ranking devices on social media: A case study of Reddit’s voting practices. Social Media + Society, 7(3). https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051211047667
Gumusten, U., & Gumusten, U. (2024, October 6). The Timeless Art of Persuasion: A Review of Aristotle’s ‘Rhetoric’ Umit Gumusten. https://umitgumusten.com/the-timeless-art-of-persuasion-a-review-of-aristotles-rhetoric/
Liu, D., & Campbell, W. K. (2017). The Big Five personality traits, Big Two metatraits and social media: A meta-analysis. Journal of Research in Personality, 70, 229–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2017.08.004
Reddit Help. (n.d.). Reddiquette. Reddit. Retrieved February 4, 2025, from https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/205926439-Reddiquette
Topic: Social media in Singapore. (2024, February 2). Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/5815/social-media-in-singapore/
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