Hey, It’s Taylor! This is my first article here. I thank Eurosaiop.org for giving me a space to voice the trans community. You’ll be reading my articles here and I will be writing more on trans-empowerment here.
Let’s start again!
Hey, It’s Taylor.
And I was on Reddit again. Like I always am.
Reddit. Man! It’s become this weird place. Right?
Like…You scroll through and all you see are the same recycled memes. In most of the subreddits actually.
Nothing fresh. Just copy-paste content.
And don’t even get me started on the echo chambers, the circlejerks.
Feels like originality just took a backseat and died somewhere.
But hey. There’s this little sub on Reddit called 4tran4. It’s not perfect. But it stands out.
Not for being flawless. But because there are lessons to learn. Lessons for the rest of Reddit.
4tran4 Is Not Your Average Reddit Sub
Okay. Let’s be real for a second.
4tran4 is not your typical Reddit sub. It’s not for everyone. And it’s not loved by everyone either.
Yes, it’s for trans people only! Doesn’t actually portray that inclusiveness as I would expect, but I understand the reason. When you’re always hated or discriminated against, boundaries make sense.
It’s a spin-off from 4chan’s trans board.
Now. At first, it might look like it’s just full of self-hating trans folks. But nah.
It’s more than that.
4tran4 is a space for people to express themselves.
Sure. It gets raw. It gets messy. Sometimes it gets toxic too. But guess what? That’s the realness. That’s life.
People there can vent without pretending to be all perfect and happy.
Reddit Needs To Learn The Importance of Being Real
Here’s something Reddit can learn.
Authenticity. Seriously.
Reddit is filled with posts that are sanitized. Everything’s gotta look good.
Right? You know that, don’t lie!
People posting stuff that’s not a reflection of who they are or what they want to say. Posts are now designed for maximum likes and upvotes.
But in 4tran4? I see more raw posts than I see elsewhere. Okay, that might be an overstatement.
But still. I like the way 4tran4 is.
People don’t care if their thoughts are ugly.
They say it anyway.
No one’s trying to fit in with the crowd. It’s refreshing.
Especially when you think about how many people on Reddit are chasing popularity.
Imagine if other subs took a page from 4tran4.
Instead of recycling memes. Or pretending to be mad about the latest trend. Users could just talk about what matters.
Imagine not having to worry about being called “problematic” just because you said what was on your mind. Sounds like a dream. Right?
Like this post. It’s asking people to stay safe and not say anything that might bring unwanted attention from authority.
Coping vs Condescension
Now. Some people see 4tran4 and think it’s just full of negativity. But that’s not the whole picture.
A lot of it is just how people cope with life. How they deal with stuff.
Humor. Sarcasm.Whatever you want to call it.
It’s a way to protect themselves from the harshness of life.
But when you look at some other subs- It’s all about acting like you’re better than everyone else.
You know the type. Like they’re above the struggles people face.
They shut down opinions that don’t fit their worldview. And that’s not helping anyone.
Reddit could learn from 4tran4 here.
Stop shutting down people just because they don’t fit your perfect little box. Let people speak their truth. Even if that truth is messy. Even if it’s uncomfortable.
That’s how you build a real community.
Groupthink. Time to Say Goodbye
Did you read Brad’s article about SCJerk? SCJerk is now run with a groupthink mentality.
Groupthink is like this invisible killer in many Reddit communities.
You know the drill. You post something that doesn’t go with the crowd. And bam. You’re shot down. You’re called out. No room for discussion. No room for creativity.
But in 4tran4? They don’t care about following the crowd. Not the herd mentality.
They’re encouraged to think for themselves. If they disagree with the norm. They say it. Even if it’s unpopular. And that’s the kind of attitude that Reddit needs.
What if more Reddit subs embraced that? Let people have different opinions. Let them voice their thoughts without fearing that they’re gonna be attacked for being different.
Imagine a place where people don’t have to be scared to be themselves. How much better would Reddit be?
My Take On 4Tran4 vs Rest of Reddit
Yes. 4tran4 isn’t perfect. It can get messy. It can get toxic. But it’s offering something Reddit needs right now- Realness.
A place where people can cope with life. Express themselves. And challenge group-thinking. If more subreddits learned these lessons. Maybe they’d stop being so boring and start actually meaning something.
Here’s my advice. Reddit. Learn from 4tran4. Let people be real. Let them cope. Let them challenge the norm. Maybe then we’ll get back to having real conversations.
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