Deciding to Delete Posts on Reddit: What Factors Influence Content Removal

Abstract

This study uses the sociological theories of deviance and social control to explore factors that contribute to post deletion and/or removal on Reddit’s most active subreddits. Using a random sample of over 1 million Reddit submissions, we show that the presence of language attacking others’ identities is somewhat strikingly associated with both user-initiated content deletion and moderator-initiated content deletion on Reddit. Findings offer insight into what it means to patrol the boundaries of acceptable communication online and what factors may contribute to the decision-making that precedes post deletion on social media platforms.