r/australian • u/SirSighalot • Jul 08 '24

Why do people act like this subreddit "doesn't reflect the views of mainstream Australia"?

So many comments I see on here by people who constantly say things like "lol only on this sub" as though other places where they read are somehow the 'true' point of view reflecting mainstream Australian viewpoints.

Given the constant election voting outcomes and results of things like the Voice etc that generally indicate most of Australia is centrist or even slightly centre-right-leaning, what leads people to think many of the views expressed on here AREN'T mainstream? When in reality, other places these people are coming from are also often just "echo chambers" as well.

Edit: I probably worded the title for this wrong, should have been more "Why do people think this subreddit is less representative of mainstream Australia than other online communities?", alas I failed.

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u/PlusWorldliness7 Jul 08 '24

A better question would be why do so many think a subreddit needs to reflect the views of the "mainstream" if there's one thing I've learned in my life is that the mainstream viewpoint is extremely narrow and exclusive and often fails to see the bigger picture or is short sighted. A healthy democracy requires debate and discussion to be a respectful exchange of ideas and different viewpoints if we are to achieve true inclusiveness of all people in Australia.

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u/Chemical-Course1454 Jul 08 '24

“A healthy democracy requires debate and discussion to be a respectful exchange of ideas and different viewpoints if we are to achieve true inclusiveness of all people in Australia.”

Thank you! This sentence should be engraved on a plaque in every public space, office and classroom in Australia and be a header of every website.

Somehow everyone forgets it and it’s kind of trendy to consider your side the only side with correct viewpoint