People use social media for different reasons. Some want to connect with old friends who have moved to different cities, some want to keep up with current fashion trends, some are purely looking for entertainment, and others want to share posts about activism and social issues. But regardless of what platforms you frequent and what you’re hoping to find there, there’s a good chance that you can’t help but peek at the comments section from time to time.
A survey from the University of Texas at Austin found that 55% of Americans have left a comment online at some point, primarily on social media, and over 77% say that they regularly read comments online. While comment sections might seem insignificant, they can go a long way in making internet users feel less alone while scrolling, which can often feel like an isolated activity.
Comment sections on TikTok and Instagram Reels are particularly active spaces. They can be full of messages of support for the poster, or they can be flooded with negative comments criticizing every small detail of their video. Recipe videos often receive comments along the lines of “Please learn how to properly use a knife before posting again.” And a simple outfit-of-the-day clip might receive dozens of unsolicited comments about the author’s weight.
That’s not to say that all comments on social media are negative; as we see from this list, they can often be harmless or hilarious. But it’s important to understand before you post anything online that you’re potentially opening yourself up to a world of scrutiny. And you should be prepared to receive comments that have little to nothing to do with the actual content.
According to Funmi Lijadu at Polyester, many social media users run to the comments section to see if others agree with their take on the content at hand.
“Psychology has an explanation for this, known as the false consensus effect,” Lijadu explains. “The false consensus effect describes the ways that people unconsciously assume that others share their beliefs and see them as normal. In an age of echo chambers, we grasp for further evidence of whether our opinion matches others who the content is being shown to. It's a self-conscious search for belonging that happens constantly on social media.”
Because everyone loves freedom of speech, participating in comment sections online feels like a right, rather than a privilege. If someone turns off the comments on their posts after receiving a large amount of hate or after being embroiled in scandal, it may feel like a betrayal for viewers.
And often, instead of halting conversations about the topic, it just diverts interested parties to other platforms. For example, if a YouTuber refuses to let viewers leave negative comments on their videos, it’s common for a snark community to pop up on Reddit where users can discuss their content. The people yearn for gossip and discourse.
Another reason why some people are so active in comment sections on social media is to promote their own accounts. You might find it strange to comment on a famous person’s post, but you will likely read the comments. And if you notice a particularly clever, witty, or intelligent take, you might click on that person’s page too. This is an easy way for accounts to amass new followers, and even many brands have picked up on this strategy.
In recent years, social media has become a crucial part of marketing for nearly every company on the planet. Modern Retail noticed this phenomenon and published a piece about brands acting like “reply guys” in every viral comment thread they come across.
“A well-placed comment on TikTok or Instagram takes up some of the most valuable real estate brands can leverage,” says Jane Prior, chief marketing officer at Vita Coco. “[This is] where brands and consumers engage in real time. These interactions are more likely to spark a larger conversation or moment the brand can own.”
