Reddit surpasses X as the fastest growing social media platform in the UK

In May 2024, Reddit, the American online discussion platform, experienced a significant surge in popularity in the UK, becoming the fifth most popular social media platform according to Ofcom, the communications watchdog. Reddit garnered 22.9 million visitors, surpassing X, which had 22.1 million. This marked a remarkable 47% increase compared to the same month in 2023, positioning Reddit as the fastest-growing large social media platform in the country. Several factors contributed to Reddit's rise in prominence. One of the primary reasons identified by industry experts is the impact of Google’s search algorithm updates earlier in the year, which led to a substantial increase in organic search traffic to Reddit. Farhad Divecha, managing director of AccuraCast, a digital marketing agency based in the UK, emphasized that the changes likely played a crucial role in enhancing Reddit’s visibility and traffic. Additionally, Ofcom suggested that changes in how third-party applications accessed Reddit's content might have forced their users to visit the platform directly. The timing of Reddit's stock market flotation in March 2024 also posed potential advantages by drawing attention to the platform. In contrast, X has struggled with declining popularity, facing an 8% drop in its reach over the same period. This downturn has been attributed to several factors, including criticism over content moderation practices since Elon Musk's acquisition in 2022 and increasing competition from newer platforms like Threads, launched by Meta in July 2023. The overall digital landscape in the UK reveals broader trends concerning user engagement with social media. Ofcom's annual report presented alarming data indicating that four out of ten UK adults reported encountering misinformation or deepfakes online. Furthermore, the survey highlighted that a significant percentage of adults expressed distrust in the ability to discern the authenticity of digital content. These growing concerns about online information are adding another layer of complexity to the social media environment, affecting how platforms like Reddit and X operate in terms of content management and user engagement.