New report suggests social platforms' comments sections have become a crucial form of online content.

A new report has found that comment sections have gained traction and the ability to influence audiences this year.  

The report by social creative company, OK COOL, shows that comments are now also seen as entertainment, with 91% of people reading the comments and one-third actively engaging in them. This study suggests commentary might have become more engaging than content, with 65% of the surveyed saying strangers in the comments are funnier than content creators.   

Annie House, head of strategy at OK COOL, said: “When the cultural tone is being set by the people, proving your irrelevance is the only real risk.” 

The report is based on the response of 2,700 people across the UK, US and Australia. The findings suggest that closed spaces have begun replacing public feeds and niche communities are building influence led by worries of authenticity. Tension between AI and human connections is seen to be the driving factor for this shift in influential media culture. While acknowledging this tension, the findings suggest AI is mostly used as a source of inspiration for creators, claiming human authenticity still surpasses AI. 

Liz Stone, co-founder and global chief creative officer said: “We’ve always believed culture lives in the comments. This new wave of sharp, unfiltered commentary proves that audiences still value human sentiment over brand sentiment or AI.”

However, the influence of comment sections carries further risks. Tom Dobber, an academic researcher from the University of Amsterdam, claims comment sections have become a space for negative conversations and exposure to these may affect people's trust in news media, describing the emergence of an 'unruly and noisy public sphere'.

Speaking to Communicate magazine, Dobber explained that when it comes to professional industries such as PR, the comment section can be “an interesting yet risky place to engage with and build relations with target audiences.”

 Dobber believes that while there is good that can come from the use of comment sections, they may cause lack of trust when it comes to professional and news spaces rather than an authentic place. “The problem is, especially with political news, there is a group of bad faith-users hijacking the comment section in a trust-eroding way. A minority of users respond to political news in a cynical way about our institutions of press and politics. Reading this negatively affects users’ own trust perceptions.” 

This mistrust could affect audiences' perception of certain brands or industries in a harmful way. In OK COOL’s report, a third of responders described themselves as “haters”. Dobber observes that this is an emerging trend. “There is a broad range of people who leave angry or negative comments behind. These include trolls, and people who are authentically angry. It is very possible that reading angry comments also had an influence on the emotions of the readers”. 

Yet, it is important to remember that most users aren’t too prolific in their comment reading, and might be angry about current events through talks with neighbours or television. People who are already angry, in turn, might be driven disproportionately toward the comment section.”

Professionals should be cautious of comment sections to ensure they remain places for authentic human connection rather than unruly spaces for anger-driven discourse. Going forward Dobber believes audiences should approach the use of comment sections with caution, saying it is a space where “negative emotions are rewarded by the ranking algorithm.” 

However, he adds: “If there is better moderation, or when comments are being ranked in a different kind of way there is certainly potential to share experiences, for example, or to correct, add, or question in a constructive way.”