Here’s Reddit’s 2020 Year in Review

As 2020 slowly comes to a close, Reddit has published its Year in Review, highlighting all the communities and conversations that defined it this year.

2020 was marked by some “life-changing, world-shifting, and often tumultuous events,” but people everywhere just kept calm (mostly) and carried on. So now, it’s time to look at the ways in which Reddit users came together on the platform throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Without further ado, here is Reddit’s 2020 Year in Review.

Related | #ThisHappened On Twitter In 2020

The Year in Review this year includes two new additions:

• UK Year in Review – A first-ever report looking at the year’s biggest topics, communities, and trends in the UK.
• r/weddingplanning and other communities sharing first-hand experiences of how they were affected by what’s been happening around the world this year.

Jump straight into the numbers below.

Reddit 2020 By-The-Numbers:

• 52 million daily active users – up 44% YoY*
• 303.4 million posts – up 52.4% YoY
• 2 billion comments – up 18.6% YoY
• 49.2 billion upvotes – up 53.8% YoY

Most Upvoted Posts of 2020:

1. (406k upvotes) I’ve found a few funny memories during lockdown. This is from my 1st tour in 89, backstage in Vegas. (via r/pics)
2. (292k upvotes) A short story (via r/memes)
3. (272k upvotes) Please make this go viral. I am begging you. Police and National Guard patrolling neighborhood and shooting civilians on their own property. Make America see this, I beg you. [Minneapolis] (via r/publicfreakout)
4. (271k upvotes) If this is you: Fu*k you (via r/pics)
5. (258k upvotes) “Everybody’s trying to shame us” (via r/publicfreakout)

Most Upvoted AMAs of 2020:

1. (102k upvotes) Jagshemash. My name Borat. My new moviefilm is streams in Amazon. Please you will watch then spray me with questions. I strong, I have survive syphilis 17 time, I can take whatever you want pump on me! AMA! (via r/movies)
2. (87.5k upvotes) I’m Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. AMA about COVID-19. (via r/coronavirus)
3. (72.5K upvotes) I am a 92 year old German born Jew who grew up in the Hitler youth and was forced to fight in WW2 in the German anti-tank division. I deserted and became a POW in a British camp and eventually moved to Canada in 1955. Just recently, I published a memoir of my life. AMA (via r/iama)
4. (71.9k upvotes) Susan Collins has failed the people of Maine and this country. She has voted to confirm Trump’s judicial nominees, approve tax cuts for the rich, and has repeatedly chosen to put party before people. I am running to send her packing. I’m Betsy Sweet, and I am running for U.S. Senate in Maine. AMA. (via r/politics)
5. (64.5k upvotes) I’m Jaime Harrison, the “Democratic Challenger” to Sen. Lindsey Graham in South Carolina. I’m running for Senate to bring hope back to the working families of SC and to #SendLindseyHome. AMA! (via r/politics)

Reddit Conversations in 2020 – COVID Support

By The Numbers:

• 50.2M+ mentions of COVID, COVID-19 or coronavirus across the platform
• #3 most popular community (by YoY activity) was r/coronavirus
• 48,286% YoY activity increase in r/unemployment
• r/coronavirusrecession and r/stimuluscheck were the 2 biggest business communities (by subscribers) created in 2020
• r/covid19_support experienced a 50x spike in activity in March

Most Discussed Topics in r/unemployment

1. Work search and career workshops
2. Online careers
3. CARES Act
4. Unemployment benefits
5. Self-employment

Most Discussed Topics in COVID-related communities

1. Social distancing
2. Medical advice
3. Reliable sources
4. Wearing masks
5. Herd immunity

Most Upvoted Posts in r/coronavirus

1. (133k upvotes) Even if COVID-19 is unavoidable, delaying infections can flatten the peak number of illnesses to within hospital capacity and significantly reduce deaths.
2. (122k upvotes) Gino Fasoli was 73 years old. He was italian and he was a family doctor and an emergency room manager. In Africa they even kidnapped him to cure the sick. Then he retired. Days ago he received a phone call: “Can you help us out?”.He came back. He was infected by Covid-19. He died like a true hero.
3. (122k upvotes) Irish people help raise 1.8 million dollars for Native American tribe badly affected by Covid-19 as payback for a $150 donation by the Choctaw tribe in 1847 during the Irish Potatoe famine
4. (115k upvotes) Arnold Schwarzenegger backs California face-mask order: ‘Anyone making it a political issue is an absolute moron’
5. (110k upvotes) How to stop a virus from spreading

Reddit Conversations in 2020 – Moments and Movements that Mattered

By The Numbers:

• 9972.4% YoY activity increase in r/blacklivesmatter
• 40.8% YoY activity increase in r/politics
• r/USPS experienced a 55.1% YoY increase in activity
• r/2020policebrutality was the #1 activism community (by subscribers) created in 2020
• r/politicaldiscussion experienced a 106% YoY increase in activity

Most Discussed Election Topics in r/politics

1. Supreme Court
2. COVID-19
3. Mail-in voting
4. Checking voter registration
5. Electoral college

Most Discussed Topics in r/blacklivesmatter

1. George Floyd
2. Police brutality
3. Social media
4. Breonna Taylor
5. Systemic racism

Most Discussed Topics in r/worldnews

1. COVID-19
2. Hong Kong
3. Climate Change
4. Middle East
5. Human Rights

Most Discussed Climate Change Issues in r/climate

1. Fossil fuels
2. Renewable energy
3. Carbon tax
4. Green New Deal
5. Sea levels

Reddit Conversations in 2020 – Advice and Connections

By the Numbers:

• 4 of the 5 top relationship communities in 2020 were focused on sharing advice (r/amitheasshole, r/relationship_advice, r/askmen, and r/advice)
• 128.4% YoY activity increase in r/penpals
• 100.3% YoY activity increase in r/needafriend
• 85.2% YoY subscriber increase in r/longdistance

Most Upvoted Posts in r/amitheasshole

1. (70.1k upvotes) AITA For suing my girlfriend after she had my 1967 impala project taken to the scrapyard?
2. (58.5k upvotes) UPDATE: WIBTA if I took over planning my own funeral from my very religious parents?
3. (50.6k upvotes) AITA for punishing my son after he said something racist?
4. (50.2k upvotes) UPDATE WIBTA For planting prickly bushes in my front yard to keep the neighbours kids from my property?
5. (46.9k upvotes) UPDATE AITA for not sharing my medical history before being pranked?

Most Discussed Activities in r/needafriend 

1. Playing video games together
2. Bonding over TV shows
3. Visiting each other’s Animal Crossing islands
4. Social anxiety support
5. Sharing music recommendations

Most Discussed Topics in r/longdistance

1. Video chat and webcam recommendations
2. Separations due to COVID-19
3. Adapting to time differences
4. Supporting one another’s mental health
5. Uncertainty around travel bans and restrictions

Reddit Conversations in 2020 – Quarantine Activities

By the Numbers:

• 378.8% YoY activity increase in r/sourdough
• 612% YoY activity increase in r/homegym
• 121.7% YoY increase in mentions of “cut my own hair”
• 285.2% YoY activity increase in r/pelotoncycle
• 82.6% YoY activity increase in r/old_recipes

Most Discussed Recipes in r/old_recipes

1. Peanut butter bread
2. Divorce carrot cake
3. Lemon bars
4. Murder cookies
5. Armenian perok cake

Trends in Top 5 Beauty Communities (by Activity)

1. r/skincareaddiction: Mentions of “maskne” (mask acne) spiked by 305.6% in July
2. r/beautyguruchatter: James Charles was the #1 most-discussed influencer this year
3. r/curlyhair: Mentions of “fringe” cuts increased 57.5% YoY
4. r/makeupaddiction: During a year of mask-wearing, mentions of “eye makeup” spiked by 26% in July
5. r/weddingplanning: Mentions of postponing weddings spiked by 6600% in March

Most Discussed At-Home Workouts in r/homefitness

1. Push-ups
2. Resistance bands
3. Pull-ups
4. Jump rope
5. HIIT workouts

Reddit Conversations in 2020 – Entertainment Value

By the Numbers:

• 1771.8% YoY activity increase in r/animalcrossing
• 52.7% YoY activity increase in r/moviedetails
• r/tigerking was the #1 TV community (by subscribers) created in 2020
• Raymond was the #1 discussed villager in r/animalcrossing
• Making a Murderer and Unsolved Mysteries were the top two true-crime TV shows (by community activity)

Most Popular Television Shows By Community Activity 

• Reality TV: Big Brother, 90 Day Fiance, The Bachelor, Survivor, Rupaul’s Drag Race
• Comedy: The Office, Rick and Morty, Community, BoJack Horseman, The Simpsons
• Drama: The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, Better Call Saul, Grey’s Anatomy, Breaking Bad
• Anime: One Piece; My Hero Academia; Naruto; JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure; Boruto
• Sci-fi: Star Trek; Westworld; Doctor Who; The 100; Dark

Most Discussed New or Upcoming Films in r/movies

1. Tenet
2. Dune
3. Mulan
4. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
5. Sonic the Hedgehog
6. Wonder Woman 1984
7. Hamilton
8. Birds of Prey
9. Black Widow
10. Invisible Man

Most Popular Professional Teams by Community Activity 

• Basketball: Lakers, Celtics, Raptors, Heat, 76ers
• Football: Eagles, Packers, Bears, Patriots, 49ers
• Soccer: Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur
• Hockey: Canucks, Maple Leafs, Flyers, Stars, Bruins
• Baseball: Yankees, Dodgers, Braves, Padres, Cardinals

Most Popular Video Games of 2020 by Community Activity 

1. League of Legends
2. Minecraft
3. Animal Crossing
4. Fortnite
5. Destiny

 

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