In a significant shift for the UK's digital landscape, the discussion platform Reddit has overtaken TikTok to become the country's fourth most visited social media service. This remarkable rise is powered by changes in search algorithms and a surge in popularity among Generation Z users, who are increasingly turning to the site for authentic, human-generated advice and reviews.
Explosive Growth and Demographic Shift
According to data from Ofcom, Reddit has experienced huge growth over the last two years, with an 88% increase in the proportion of UK internet users it reaches. Where only one in three Britons online encountered the site in 2023, that figure has now jumped to three in five. The platform's popularity is rising fastest with younger audiences, becoming the sixth most visited organisation of any kind for UK users aged 18-24, up from tenth a year ago. More than three-quarters of that cohort now use the site.
This growth marks a transformation for Reddit, which was once primarily seen as a network of forums known for hostile exchanges between anonymous users. The UK is now a boom market for the platform, hosting its second largest user base globally, behind only the United States. Notably, more than half of its UK users are now women, balancing a historically male-skewed audience.
The Drivers Behind the Surge
A combination of factors is fuelling Reddit's ascent. A pivotal moment came last year when Google changed its search algorithms to prioritise helpful content from discussion forums, which significantly increased Reddit's visibility in search results. Furthermore, a landmark deal allowing Google to train its AI models on Reddit's content has provided a substantial boost. Reddit is now the most-cited source for Google's AI overviews, directing more traffic to its forums. A similar agreement is in place with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
Reddit's Chief Operating Officer, Jen Wong, believes the platform is also capitalising on changing internet habits. "Gen Z are very open to looking online for advice around these life stage moments," she said, citing examples like leaving home, renting for the first time, or planning a wedding. "It's a very safe place to ask questions." Internal research indicates that 71% of women on Reddit in the UK have a personal interest in skincare, beauty, and cosmetics, driving high traffic to related UK subreddits. Forums on pregnancy and parenting have doubled in size over the last year.
Football, Authenticity, and Government Engagement
The platform has also become a hub for sports fans, particularly around the Premier League. A growing trend sees supporters logged into their team's subreddit while watching matches. The main Premier League subreddit alone has grown by more than a billion views in the last year. It also serves as a vital discussion space for women's football, which receives less dedicated coverage than the men's game; views for subreddits covering Arsenal's women's team and the Lionesses have doubled.
Amid concerns over the proliferation of AI-generated content online, Wong touted Reddit's human-centric model as an antidote. "You see these accidents of AI slop and AI advice – Reddit doesn't have that," she stated. "It's not clean. It's messy... but that's kind of the point." The platform's culture of candid discussion has even attracted the UK government, which launched its own account, UKGovNews, last year to post about issues like the cost of living and immigration.
While the platform's confrontational reputation persists, Wong emphasises its self-regulating community structure. "Every person who joins Reddit is a moderator, because you get to vote up or down on a post," she explained, noting that "'Be civil' is one of the most common rules in communities." As Reddit's prominence grows, its blend of unfiltered human experience and niche community focus appears to be resonating powerfully with a new generation of UK internet users.
