Dialogue and Reddit

The negative aspects of Reddit seem to overwhelm whatever good the online platform has done (for example raising money for the Haiti disaster). The persistence of misogynist, racist and homophobic subreddits suggest that Reddit frequently panders to the worst of society. However, Massanari's (2015) work focuses exclusively on a North American and European audience. Taking a step back from this Eurocentric bias enables us to see how Reddit can be adapted by other countries and cultures. I was most interested in seeing how Reddit can be used a platform for dialogue between the residents of nations normally hostile to one another. In particular, I was intrigued by the dialogues between r/Pakistan and r/India – set up by representatives of two neighboring nations who have fought four wars and who knows how many border skirmishes in the last 70 years. These conversations are surprisingly free from rancor and religious incendiaries – taking into account the predominantly Muslim population of Pakistan and the mostly Hindu population of India. In fact, the subreddits are marked by genuine curiosity from both groups. Taking into account the limited internet presence in both countries, it seems to me that these Reddit users are relatively well off and educated, thus privileged people who nonetheless are critical and skeptical of the propaganda of their respective countries. The presence of these elites, who will create policies of the future, suggest that, hopefully, they will create a more amicable relationship between the two countries. It would be interesting to see if such a utilization of Reddit would also be possible in the Middle East, especially between Israel and Palestine. 

http://thetypicalindian.com/news/conversation-between-indian-reddit-community-and-pakistan-reddit-community-is-the-most-peaceful-and-typical-conversation-the-two-countries-have-had-this-decade

https://www.reddit.com/r/india/comments/3xfxub/cultural_exchange_with_rpakistan_the_thread/