Yahoo Answers, Quora, and Reddit are all platforms in which their content relies on the engagement between the users, and this structure allows people to create forums for any category of their choice, furthermore, one feature they all have in common is the Q&A option. This feature allows a user to post a question, and anyone who comes across it will be able to answer. Moreover, every response, or answer, can be liked and commented on, a useful detail when determining what is, by popular vote, a reasonable reply. These platforms have become a massive success and are a widely used tool for any answers an internet user may have. Personally, a wide variety of questions I have, that could be regarding what Björks best album is to what movies to watch if I like Whiplash, Reddit has become my go-to platform. This isn’t because there is a lack of journals or articles about the same topics, but it is a conscious decision to scroll down until I find a Reddit user with the same questions as I have.
A Want For A Personal Recommendation
This is a result of corporate websites that cater their content to a wider audience, thus resulting in, for example, the most neutral Björk songs recommended, songs that every listener would like, or the most famous movies that would be similar to Whiplash. But no, I want a more real suggestion, a suggestion that someone discovered from a personal experience and can describe in a way that relates to what I am looking for. No more formal writing recommending the same movies that are on IMDB’s top 10.
A Shared Experience
The reason for the rejection of “neutral” answers isn’t necessarily because we’ve seen or heard them already, this I know because I only watched Whiplash once I saw someone’s deeply personal review on it, despite the hundreds of articles declaring their love for it. A movie is so much more than an addition to a top 10 list or a short concise review in an article, and seeing it be explained as such dulls the experience, and it is for this reason that Letterboxd (an app to list, rate, and review movies) has become a favorite addition to everyone’s home screen. Another feature of Reddit that adds to their forum, is the option to “upvote” a reply. This means that if a user agrees with an answer to a question, other users can like it, and the more likes it gets, the higher on the forum it is, creating a sort of democracy with different sides, opinions, and debates, making it an experience to sit and scroll and learn so much about their nuanced and complex answers.
This development can be a reflection of our tendency to seek personal connections, significant or not, in a reality that is dictated by digital media and relations. With platforms that embrace the conversation, it is a sort of rejection of conservative and traditional content and an anarchist place for content á-la-carte. Not only will you find recommendations for movies you have never heard of, or albums that are underrated, but you get to share personal experiences and interpretations that are much more valuable than a widely agreed judgment.
Hi! I really enjoyed reading your post because it made me realize how, as human, we heavily rely emotional connections, even with digital mediums.
I love to discover and dive into stories, narratives, and opinions online – Reddit is one example of a digital platform that I read opinions and stories from every once in a while. While I interact with these platforms on a daily basis, I have never realized how much we desire humanity within new media. Your viewpoint is very similar to mine as I will only dive into a topic, film, or book that has been mentioned by another digital peer over a professional reviewer. This forces upon questions about digital media’s connections to emotions, empathy, and humanity. It also makes me realize that although digital mediums seem very strict, emotionless, and robotic – through its interplay with humans it becomes a space that can be very personal and humane. This all heavily relies on the way an individual interacts with digital platforms, as well as the online peers that they surround themselves with.
I also really like how you mentioned the “upvote” button on Reddit – I have never personally upvoted any posts but it does showcase how digital mediums rely on the interactions between individuals.