Why might you want to use your real name on Reddit?
Foregoing anonymity (or pseudonymity) can help combat cyberbullying
I’ve spent quite a bit of time this week thinking about Reddit, one of the world’s most popular social networks.
After receiving nasty anonymous abuse on the platform, I’ve been thinking about whether or not I want to continue contributing there at all — and how, if at all, the network can be a safer and more supportive space for its users.
One of my more unusual decisions on Reddit has been to post, almost entirely, from an account that makes my real identity plain. This marks me out from probably 80% of the network — although recently I’ve found more posters doing the same thing.
Here why you might want to follow suit — or not.
Pro: Using A Real Name Discourages You From Bullying Or Being Mean To Other Users
Reddit’s notorious toxicity — at times and in places — is largely believed to be driven by the fact that most users are anonymous and the signup process requires almost nothing in the way of corroborating identity checks.
One can sign up for a Reddit account completely anonymously using a simple handle — like danielmediumpostingaccount.
Unfortunately the ease with which posters can create anonymity for themselves also makes Reddit a perfect platform on which to bully, harass, and troll other users. When there are no social consequences to being mean to others, users often behave in needlessly callous ways.
I believe that voluntarily using your real name is one way that could help make the platform less mean-spirited — as at times it is — without detracting from the quality and volume of discussion taking place there.
Con: You May Need A Second Account For Specific Purposes
While using a public Reddit identity may be well and good for most posting activity, you may still have good reason not to attach your identity to certain posts:
- That touch upon employment
- That touch upon health and mental health
For these instances, you may wish to reserve a second “private” Reddit handle (in Reddit lingo, commonly called an ‘alt’ — short of ‘alternative account’).
Reddit Enhancement Suite (RES) makes it easy to toggle between two or more Reddit account:
Con: Deranged People Know Who You Are
Due to the aforementioned anonymity, Reddit attracts its fair share of hateful individuals.
Depending on what you post about, and how controversial it is, you may have good reason to wish to avoid having these people know your true identity.
On the flip side of this argument, you could argue that any time you post anywhere on the internet — including here on Medium — such individuals can find out who you are and what you stand for.
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