Have you ever noticed, while paying super close attention in class, that people seem to be on this not-so-great looking website with a bunch of blue links? Doesn’t it seem strange that people would spend so much time on such an ugly website? Well, I’m going to let you in on a little no-so secret. Reddit is an online aggregator that pulls together webpages and images from all over the Internet. It works as a social platform by allowing users to submit content to “subreddits” and to vote on the best content. The content with the most “upvotes” makes it further up the page. Simple, right?
Why is this seemingly boring concept so attractive to Internet addicts? Subreddits are the smaller pieces that make up the larger Reddit website. These subreddits have specialized content attractive to any person; for example, there are hundreds of subreddits dedicated to makeup reviews, applications, and tutorials if you’re into makeup.
Now that you’ve had a glimpse of what Reddit is all about, what should you do now? First you should personalize your front page by subscribing to subreddits. Here are a few of our favorite ones to get you started:
1. “Advice Animals” Advice Animals is just memes. There are the memes that you’ve seen since you joined the Internet and some that you’ve never seen before. Though not all of them include animals, the ones that do are some of the funniest and cutest of them all.
2. “Today I Learned” This will link you to web pages and wiki articles that tell you cool things about the world we live in and random facts we may have never known otherwise. You can identify them by their “TIL” tag before the title — always an interesting read.
3. “Unexpected” This is the funniest collection on Reddit. You’ll watch a gif and suddenly nothing turns out the way you were expecting. They can be gifs, articles, news stories, or videos. Usually, you’ll end up calling a friend and sending them a link just to see how they react.
4. “Aww” Aww is exactly what you think it is: cute pictures of mostly animals. People submit pictures of their puppies, kitties, hedgehogs, and every other cute thing imaginable. Aww is a great way to kill time when you’re putting off your homework.
5. “Explain Like I’m Five” Ever wondered how to accomplish something super complicated, whether it’s medical, technological, or mechanical? Sometimes, Google can help, but it can be full of jargon. Tagged with “ELI5,” this page will cover complex topics in the simplest way possible. It will not give you super in-depth coverage, but it will provide a general understanding.
Now that you have the scoop on Reddit, you have a website to distract you from class other than the usual Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. If you plan to make an account, I advise that you proceed with caution because it can get addicting!
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