“Instagram opens”

“Scrolling begins”

“Found a reliable reel”

“Opens the comments section”

“Like the funniest/relatable comment”

Nearly 2 billion people use Instagram monthly, and chances are quite high that you are one of them. If you do, then you know that this is how our hands and brain coordinate when watching a reel.

If we find a reel funny, we head to the comments section to find more funny comments. If we find the reel ‘cringe’, we head to the comments section to find some funny comments that validate our sense of awkwardness.

We don’t think much before making any comment (nice or mean), even if we don’t know anything about the person. Moreover, from celebs to big luxury brands, everyone is commenting on every other viral reel on Instagram.

But have you ever wondered how a platform initially designed for sharing photos became a platform that brings brands, influencers, and people together?

When did it start?

Let’s start from the very beginning.

The culture of getting into an online fight with someone you don’t even know is something we have been doing since the advent of the internet.

Matters became worse when people started using (formerly Twitter)And tweets filled with feuds, sarcasm and companies taking digs at each other became an everyday occurrence.

Who doesn’t remember Samsung’s iconic joke “let us know when it turns” when it made fun of Apple on the X?

X has always been a place where people see other people’s tweets, and agree and disagree with each other again and again. Similarly, the desire to tell others ‘how we feel about something’ grew even more with the Facebook wall and YouTube’s comment section.

But things changed when TikTok came up with short content (30-40 seconds) and allowed users to comment on anyone’s content without the need to become their ‘friend’.

This culture of commenting on others’ content—photos and videos—soon came to Instagram as well, especially in India, where we no longer have TikTok.

The option to go ‘live’ on these platforms, and engage directly with followers and allow them to comment and ask questions, further promotes users’ habits of commenting on Reels or other content they encounter.

Recently, things have escalated so much that not only has it become extremely common to comment on someone or something online, but brands are also using the comment section culture to make big bucks.

Comments Section: Game Changer for Brands

What makes a brand successful? A key factor when selling a product is to create a feeling among consumers that the brand is ‘one of us’, that is, it is trustworthy. (except some luxury brands),

Nowadays, the comment section has created a unique connection between users and the brands they engage with. A single reel is not considered viral if no brand comments on it. Indian brands have also recognized the importance of associating with ‘Viral Reels’.

From brands like Swiggy, Zomato and Duolingo to luxury car brands like Audi and BMW, everyone seems to be commenting on viral reels that are relevant to them.

For example, you’ll get @SwiggyInstamart or @Blinkit’s comment on a viral food reel or @Ajio’s comment on an online shopping or clothing viral Instagram reel.

This is done for two main reasons:
One. This increases brand visibility. Brands understand that every video that goes viral or runs for more than 15 seconds, it is now becoming a trend that we, as humans, will open the comment section, where we can find the name of the brand.
B. This ‘humanizes’ the brand, making it more relatable to users.

To understand this better, consider Duolingo, an app designed for teaching languages. However, when we say Duolingo, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the app’s mascot ‘Duo’. Yes, we’re talking about a neon green owl with a distinctive social media personality.

If you visit Indian Duolingo’s Instagram page, you’ll notice that Shubhankar has a quirky personality and doesn’t shy away from leaving cheeky comments on his and other viral reels.

By the way, Duo also has a crush on Dua Lipa!

This ‘humanization’ of Duo has been particularly noticeable in recent years and has made it a hit among social media users.

outcome? By October 2024, Duolingo’s market capitalization grew to $12.27 billion, a significant increase from 2022, when it had a market capitalization of $2.85 billion.

Why so popular?

There are several reasons why experts believe the rise in comment section culture. Counseling psychologist Shreya Kaul explains India Today This is because comments generally allow people to remain ‘anonymous and protected’.

“In a strange way, you can find people who may have similar opinions [when someone likes your comment]Funnily enough, the comments section often feels like a community. Now, whether this community is good or harmful depends,” says Shreya.

Furthermore, humans like to share the information they know. Be it in the form of gossip or to ‘let someone know about something’ in the ‘comments section’.

Shreya explains that “At some level, people have started getting a lot of information through comment sections as well, which can certainly, in some situations, be very good – but on the other hand, can be very harmful.” . It is unregulated, untested, and cannot possibly be rooted in truth.”

“I think it’s a very obvious by-product of social media. We have been provided with many platforms where we can express our opinions whenever and however we want. There’s barely any policing – which also means it can potentially lead to a very distorted sense of agency and influence,” she adds.

‘real problem’

Now, since the comments section is generally unregulated and not fact checked, it can get quite messy.

The comment section is also turning into a ‘troll’ platform where people love to be nasty to anyone who posts their content. You will also find a lot of bots that leave distasteful comments every other post.

For example, in India people (usually men) often comment on letters.R,Hindi slang we don’t want to pronounce) When women wear clothes as per their wish.

We have also seen this ‘letter’ circulating in the comment sections of celebs, especially the comment sections of women who have recently been divorced.

For example, 32-year-old model Natasa Stankovic faced a lot of hate and trolling when she parted ways with Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya. All this hatred was on her comment section.

Even now, three months later, Natasa’s comments section is filled with comments that evaluate her character and the ‘R’ word.

This blind meanness has often affected the mental health of women and at times prevented them from posting whatever they wanted to post on social media.

For example, Muskan Aggarwal, a 24-year-old MBA student from Delhi, says she wants to become a content creator but doesn’t have the ‘courage’ to face trolls yet.

“People comment on small things. A little weight gain, wrong color of lips, everything. “I am afraid that if I start posting online they will troll me,” says Muskaan.

Well, what do you think about commenting culture? Let us know in the comments.