Reddit is a platform with a treasure trove of possibilities—you can discover just about anything you want there.
Now, let’s talk about Karma on Reddit. It’s a point system that some people appreciate, while others not so much. Essentially, it reflects how users “behave” on the platform in a sense.
The catch is that Reddit Karma can dip into negative territory, which doesn’t look great on our Reddit accounts.
In today’s guide, we’ll show you how to tackle the issue of negative Karma on Reddit in 2024.
Quick Tech Answer
To fix negative Karma on Reddit, be mindful of Subreddit rules, contribute positively to the conversation, engage with the community, create original posts, and acknowledge your mistakes and rectify them.
Tech Shortcut
What Is Negative Karma on Reddit?
Karma on Reddit is a point system designed to reward users who positively contribute to the community and punish those who don’t.
According to Reddit, Karma is earned by receiving Karma points from other users. Karma is not “passed away from one user to another,” which means that everyone can give a single Karma point to someone if they find their content useful.
Sadly (or fortunately, depending on the point of view), people can also give negative Karma to others, which is a way to show that they are not helping the community at all.
Keep in mind that besides upvotes, Karma can also be given out through awards, so the relationship between upvotes and Karma is not always 1:1.
Why Do I Have Negative Karma on Reddit?
So, did you just log into your Reddit account, and find out that you have negative Karma on Reddit?
That -19 number surely looks awful, but why is it there? There are three main reasons why Redditors have negative Karma on the social media platform.
1. Users Have Downvoted Your Comments More Than They Have Upvoted Them
Downvotes on your comments are the main cause of negative Karma on Reddit.
Keep in mind that comment votes are balanced between positive and negative votes. For instance, if you receive 20 upvotes and 15 downvotes, your overall vote rate will be 5.
But if people give you 10 upvotes and 20 downvotes, then your comment will have -10 votes. This negatively impacts your overall Reddit Karma level.
2. You Are a Reddit Lurker
There’s nothing wrong with being a Lurker. Some of us just like to see or watch content on Reddit without interacting, and that’s okay.
But imagine that you never post anything, and one day decide to make a comment where you say that “iOS is better than Android.”
Some people don’t like your comment, and they downvote it. As a consequence, you will have negative Karma, and will not be able to fix it until you take further action.
3. You Don’t Positively Contribute to the Reddit Community
It’s clear that downvoting or upvoting comments on Reddit is a rather subjective thing to do, but if you are a spammer or a person who just looks for trouble, then prepare yourself to be punished by the Reddit community.
People with controversial opinions or common misbehavior on the platform are more prone to get negative Karma on Reddit.
Is Having Negative Karma on Reddit Bad?
Karma are “fake Internet points” you almost never gain anything out of them other than community recognition.
However, having negative Karma might impact the way you use the Reddit App or platform. Let us elaborate.
What Happens if You Have Negative Karma on Reddit?
If you have negative Reddit Karma, these are some of the most common consequences that your account will face:
- Limited Posting: some subreddits have minimum Karma requirements to enter. If your Reddit Karma is negative, you might not be able to enter these subreddits.
- Bad Reputation: your account will be perceived as a low-reputation profile, and Reddit moderators might flag you as a problematic user, which can lead to account banning.
- Reduced Visibility: posts and comments with negative Karma are less likely to be seen by other Redditors. Reddit’s algorithm prioritizes content with higher upvotes.
How to Fix Negative Karma on Reddit: 5 Ways
Having negative Reddit Karma is not a good thing, but sometimes, finding the correct path to solving this problem is not always easy.
These 5 methods will teach you how to fix negative Karma on Reddit rapidly.
1. Be Mindful of the Subreddit Rules
The first thing that you must do to get rid of negative Reddit Karma is to acknowledge and follow all the rules of the Subreddits you participate in.
For example, some Subreddits about video games entirely forbid users from posting story spoilers. In this case, if you are aware of the Subreddit Rules, you will be capable of following them in order to prevent negative Karma from affecting your profile.
2. Contribute Positively to the Conversation
Do you have something interesting to add to a conversation? Go for it!
If you don’t have anything useful to say, then commenting just for the sake of commenting will not help you at all.
Only make Reddit comments if you are sure that your insights will support and help other Redditors. Otherwise, simply don’t do it.
3. Engage With the Community
Reddit is a great place to connect with like-minded people and make friends.
If you engage with other Redditors, then they will probably give you upvotes, which positively impacts your Karma.
Besides, you get to know new people, which is a win-win situation for everyone.
4. Create Original Reddit Posts
Do you have some unique insights and points of views to share with the Reddit community? Make a Reddit post!
Instead of just commenting on other users’ threads, make your own post and show the world what you have to offer.
Creating original posts on Reddit is the best way to increase Karma organically.
5. Acknowledge Your Mistakes
Sometimes, we make comments that do no good to anyone. Some opinions are simply not worth sharing as they might hurt others.
Therefore, if you have engaged in discussion with other Reddit users, and they are continuously downvoting your comments, it’s better to acknowledge your mistakes and rectify them.
Try to make amends if possible – this will help you get rid of negative Reddit Karma over time.
Tech Recap: How Do I Fix My Karma on Reddit?
Accumulating Karma on Reddit is a gradual process that demands time, dedication, and ongoing involvement. Dealing with negative Karma on such a prominent platform can be quite a headache, but fear not—following these steps will help you turn things around.
While there’s no magic button to instantly fix your negative Reddit Karma issues, as you grasp how the platform operates and contribute meaningfully, your Karma will naturally increase, making you a valuable asset to the community.
Techies Also Ask
Who Has the Lowest Karma on Reddit?
Reddit does not publicly show a “Karma Leaderboard” or something like that. Therefore, it is impossible to know what’s the account with the lowest Karma on Reddit.
Can You Hide Your Karma on Reddit?
Reddit does not offer the possibility of hiding Karma on Reddit. However, there are browser add-ons for Google Chrome that some Redditors use to hide all Reddit Karma.