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Reddit is a social network platform where content is aggregated into different forums and topics, and other users have the ability to “upvote” or “downvote” individual posts. Reddit’s forum-style discussion is composed of countless smaller message boards and specialty “subreddits” where content is structured around specific subjects—such as anime, books, gaming, sports, and much more. The app encourages people to meet and connect with strangers to discuss topics and events. Reddit utilizes a moderator system where users monitor content in an attempt to moderate behavior and remove inappropriate material. According to an August 2022 report from Statista, Reddit has approximately 50 million daily active users, which actually represents a substantial decrease down from 52 million daily active users in 2021.
Risks
Reddit has no age verification and pornography is easily accessible.
- Children can join subreddits for viewing pornography.
- Moderators will not remove or report sexually explicit activity because people joining that subreddit are intending to view pornographic images and videos.
Subreddits can contain graphic violence, suicide tips, hate speech, and more inappropriate content.
- Warnings are presented for graphic content and images of sexually explicit material are blurred.
- Children can still easily access this inappropriate content and turn off the “safe search” option.
Group chat features can lead to potential online predators and cyberbullying.
- Private communication with complete strangers online can open the door for children to have dangerous, inappropriate conversations with adults.
- Online predators often attempt to move conversations with children to another messaging app such as Kik, GroupMe, or Snapchat in order to have more privacy while chatting.
Recommendations
Reddit can be a fun place to find humor and memes, which makes it a very popular site for kids. However, it can also present various dangers to younger children. In addition to parental controls and monitoring tools, it’s important for parents to be aware and ask their children about what they are viewing on social media and other sites. Children should also be mindful of not revealing identifying information in their Reddit username and in the messages they post on the platform. Bark has an App Management for Reddit article with more information for parents to learn how to secure their child’s account using parental controls. Another easy way for parents to understand the pros and cons of this platform is to explore Reddit for yourself.
Want To Learn More?
For additional information on Reddit, check out the Parent’s Review: Full Guide to Reddit Chat on FamiSafe. In addition to the sources listed below, check out Common Sense Media’s Reddit review.
Sources
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1324258/reddit-monthly-active-users/
https://www.bark.us/blog/is-reddit-safe/
https://www.bark.us/guides/app-management-reddit/
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-reviews/reddit
https://www.internetmatters.org/hub/news-blogs/what-is-reddit-what-parents-need-to-know/
https://famisafe.wondershare.com/social-app-control/how-to-block-reddit-chat.html
https://www.familyzone.com/anz/families/blog/five-risky-apps-and-sites