The Public Sphere Functioning Within Reddit
The public sphere is an idea originally proposed by Habermas was defined as the “realm of our social life in which something approaching public opinion can be formed. Access is guaranteed to all citizens” (Habermas, 1962). Each resident of the public sphere must obey certain rules for an ‘ideal speech situation’ to occur where “every subject with the competence to speak and act is allowed to take part in a discourse” (Habermas, 1990). The rules proposed by the ideal speech situation (ISS) are as follows; 1, “Every subject with the competence to speak and act is allowed to take part in a discourse. 2a, Everyone is allowed to question any assertion whatever. 2b, Everyone is allowed to introduce any assertion whatever into the discourse. 2c, Everyone is allowed to express his attitudes, desires, and needs. 3, No speaker may be prevented, by internal or external coercion, from exercising his rights as laid down in (1) and (2 The concept of the public sphere and the ideal speech situation (ISS) can be” (Habermas, 1990).
Within these conditions of ISS, I find that Reddit, a popular American social news website and application, in particular, is a place where all these conditions apply and help in creating an ideal speech situation. Reddit overall though is completely a leaderless platform where Habermas’ idea of the public sphere seems to exist. Reddit is a completely anonymous platform where you’re encouraged not to use your real name unless you are a business trying to advertise most Reddit users use pseudonyms. This permits for equality amongst users without the inequities that occur in physical conversation. For example, on Reddit in an anonymous setting, there is no disparity with gender, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, etc. contributing to its conditions for an ideal speech situation.
Now there are disputes within Reddit where all the conditions for ISS may not always hold. These conditions are due to the acts of individuals and not dealing with the Reddit website/app itself. Reddit allows users to post text, images, links, videos onto boards which are called subreddits, which are usually categorized based on a similar interest. Popular subreddits for various interests like ‘world news’, ‘political humor’, ‘insane parents.’ As people are allowed to post freely what they want they on occasion give away the anonymity behind their users admitting their class, race, gender, and others. When such occurs, the ISS conditions are not met as Habermas has presented them and allows for discrimination by no longer being an anonymous user.
An example of how the public sphere functions on Reddit compared to other social networks is when groups on Reddit attack certain individuals and dox them. Other social media platforms in my opinion limit the public sphere because they have guidelines put in place by administration and leaders of other social media platforms. For example, TikTok a social media app doesn’t permit what they call “underage delinquent behavior” like minors consuming alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. In this sense TikTok and other like apps that have guidelines to constrict the media posted on social networks. Apps like TikTok in my opinion do not fall into the public sphere, because the conditions of ISS are not met. The speaker is being prevented by an external force (the guidelines of the app) and is limited to the rules that fall under the advisory of a social media app administration.
Reddit functions as a public sphere as Habermas is presented where free speech is at its highest function. Reddit has cons to be a public sphere along with one I mentioned earlier when the anonymity no longer exists. When anonymity no longer exists the hierarchy that exists in physical social life becomes clear and the ISS no longer exists. Other than this, with no guidelines on what can be posted there is a problem with extremist opinions or controversial opinions, such as religion, race, gender, class, etc. also a persistent issue in the public sphere of Reddit is pornography. Reddit has stepped in to ban child pornography, one of the very few limiting free speech on the platform, this being because it is illegal to distribute child pornography in America, where Reddit was founded.
Overall, Reddit functions much like Habermas’s ideal speech situation in a public sphere. Status, race, gender, and most inequalities among us in any conversation are non-existent. Creating an equal space for conversation and with no one particular speech being valued higher than any others. Reddit’s unique functions and anonymously formed user groups leave a lot to be explored for the interaction in an ISS that Habermas has put forth, which happens very rarely in our lives however clearly except for Reddit.
