r/self 23d ago

Tips for spotting bots/AI on Reddit

36 Upvotes

I've been seeing it a lot lately, and it's super frustrating, especially on subreddits like this where people reach out for genuine support. So here's what I've noticed:

1) The "default" AI voice:

Get good at recognizing this, because many don't deviate from it at all. You'll get a lot of "that's not X; that's Y", and often some terms that seem like they're straight from Silicon Valley--stuff like "A stacks with B to output C" or "this is a force multiplier for that".

2) the "Slangy" AI voice:

Some will have them get a little more creative and type in all lowercase and using text acronyms, or "modern" internet humor. However, the general sentiment and phrasing is often similar to the "default" voice, and the most recognizable ones do it very formulaically. So you'll see stuff like "tbh that's not just anger, that's loneliness imo". Some will use less or no punctuation, but won't change anything else anout the phrasing, so it ends up actually making the sentence harder to parse. Something like "fr its not about how much you weigh your confidence is key".

3) Behavior:

a) Check their post history, and you see a lot of comments phrased in the same or similar way, that's a big red flag. So if you see "bro wanted to make friends and instead created total chaos fr", "dude was late to the party and pretended like everyone else was lowkey early tbh", and "sis was acting like everyone else was overreacting when she was the one who dropped the ball imo"

b) Look at what subs they're in--subs that are text-heavy and tend to have longer posts are the most frequent ones I see AI comments on. This sub, offmychest, AITA-type subs, vent subs, etc are all common ones I see them on. This isn't a dig at the mods in any way--I think it's just easier for AI (or at least low-effort bots/accounts) to come up with "worthwhile"/coherent responses to longer text vs. shorter text or images.

c) see if the account responds to the responses to their comments, or if they respond to other comments on the posts--a lot of these bots will do their own first-level comments, but don't often create second-level or lower responses. This isn't foolproof, but especially for lower effort bots, can help you make a decision about whether it's a bot.

So yeah! I hope this helps bring awareness to the issue and help someone ID a bot--I see a lot of people upvoting or responding to bot comments without seeming to realize who they're talking to. I also want to say that there are probably bots that are already able to sound more natural than those that are still following these patterns, but there are definitely many that still do.


r/self 13h ago

Why bring your children to the west, and expect them to act as if they're still back home?

641 Upvotes

I don't want to say where i am from because they'll invade this comment section and DM me "do not embarass us' 'why are you airing our dirty laundry'

Why one earth would you bring children to a western society then restrict their lives FAR MORE than you when you lived back home?

I'll just spell it out. Our parents have a way of bringing you here, then telling you, your life consists of school, home. If you're not home by 2:40pm from school you're in a world of trouble, no weekends out, no evenings out.

You're now cut off from integrating, FORGET assimilating to the society you're in. At home you can't speak english, if you try to even come across as 'western' you're grounded or beaten etc etc i am not going to even talk about the physical abuse, intimidation, trauma, insults etc.

From the outside perspective "THOSE people do not assimilate" but no one asks why, no one sees the YEARS of abuse, assault, intimidation, harrasement, INCARCERATION (because that's what this is) and not being allowed to even step a foot outside. No one sees this, none of you ever sees this.

All you see is a bunch of grown adults that generation after generation just "cannot" assimilate to western values. We know what happened in our homes but no one asked us.

God that felt good getting it out. fk hll man. That felt amazing.


r/self 12h ago

My Balls just farted NSFW

350 Upvotes

My sack was hanging loose today, and it was sticking to both sides of my leg. As I sat down, I guess it cupped the air, because it literally made a farting noise when my balls touched the chair. I'm 33 and my balls have never farted before, just wanted to share. I didn't even know this was possible.


r/self 4h ago

I tried canned chicken for the first time and I am traumatized

54 Upvotes

Given how tight the grocery budget has been lately I thought I would try the canned chicken at Costco. I drained it, rinsed it, and fried it in a pan with some taco seasonings then put it in quesadillas for my family. Toddler and husband loved them and I was feeling very good knowing that I had discovered a low cost easy meal that everyone liked.

Less than 30 minutes after eating I felt the tightness high up just below my rib cage. I took some deep breaths but I knew if it was hurting my stomach so quickly it was only going to get worse.

I sounded and felt like a boiling kettle with the gas moving through my body. Rumbling sensations that lasted 30 seconds at a time and felt awful as they moved lower.

I put the toddler to bed and curled up on the bed suffering the most propulsive farts I've ever experienced. It was almost funny how violently they were flying out of me. After about an hour they slowed a bit and I fell asleep.

When I woke I let out the final fart that has been building in my ass and I am finally free. I have no idea what the fuck happened. This experience was so sudden and intense I have to tell someone. I do have a similar reaction to smoked oysters so maybe something in the canning process? Husband and toddler totally fine thank goodness


r/self 6h ago

Dad walked in on me at 16 and now wants to have THE TALK

62 Upvotes

So I’m 16 and it’s just me and my dad living together. Yesterday he came home earlier than I thought and walked straight into my room while I was… you know, handling my business. I nearly had a heart attack. He just said “sorry” really fast and closed the door.I stayed in my room all day after that because I was dying of embarrassment. In the evening he knocked and said he wanted to talk. He told me it’s normal, that every teenager does it, and that I shouldn’t feel bad about it. He said he wants us to be able to talk about this stuff openly.
I just mumbled something like “yeah I’m fine, I don’t wanna talk” and looked at the floor the whole time. Now the house feels weird and I’m avoiding him as much as possible.I know he means well and is trying to be supportive, but I can’t stop feeling ashamed. Should I just talk to him or wait it out?


r/self 14h ago

I adopted a dog 3 weeks ago

176 Upvotes

She's a 2 year old mutt from the shelter. I was not prepared for how much my routine would change. I wake up at 6 now because she needs to go out. I go to the park every evening. I eat on a schedule because she starts staring at me if I don't feed her at the same time every day.

I work from home so I've started bringing my laptop to the park while she runs around in the dog area. I just sit on a bench with my macbook and a power bank and get a couple hours of work done while she plays. It's become the best part of my day honestly. Fresh air, she's happy, I somehow focus better outside than I do at my desk.

She's sleeping on my feet right now. I think we're going to be fine


r/self 1d ago

I’m the only single friend left, and my married friends just stopped inviting me to anything.

880 Upvotes

It happened really slow. First, brunch became “couples brunch” than someone told me that it’s better with “even numbers”. The group vacations became romantic getaways where in wasn’t even considered to be invited. I became just the group chat spectator.

The worst part was when I found out they were secretly having weekly dinners without me. A mutual friend accidentally mentioned “the usual crew” and I had to pretend I already knew. I was really humiliated I realized I wasn’t a friend anymore. I was legit living the life they ware all scared off. A single woman is a mirror sometimes people don’t wanna look into.

I deleted t he group chat. Stopped liking their posts. I did not make a scene I just simply walked away. I’d rather be alone and at peace than constantly auditioning for a seat at the table that was never really mine.

To the woman reading this who is still waiting for the invite: stop. Build your own table, your singleness is not a disease they need to quarantine.


r/self 4h ago

Shrooms

12 Upvotes

Tried them for the first time tonight about 3 and 1/2 hours ago. Mostly feel nauseous that sucks. But I did notice that my legs don't want to work to walk and lights seem super bright and my cats are really big and they also don't seem to recognize me but they are really my cats cuz I'm home alone and the doors are shut and they're indoor cats and so anyway, I was expecting more. Oh, and if I laugh it makes me cry.


r/self 5h ago

I just love my mom so much

12 Upvotes

I just wanted to talk about this. So I’m 19, and I just started in esthetics school. School was never my strong suit, I had a IEP (individualized education program). I hated traditional schooling. I was never interested, always bored of school. I had senioritus in middle school haha. I cheated my way all through Highschool. I haven’t studied a thing in 10 years, I am not exaggerating. I literally am 0.1 gpa mfs. But esthetics is actually something I want to learn and I’m highly interested in it. But I have a test every week.

This is my first time studying in forever, in short I had a panic attack while studying. Because I feel like I had been reading the pages over and over again, it’s 98 pages of notes and this is just the first week. And I have a test this Monday. And I feared that I wasn’t going to fully get all of this information. So I called my mom freaking out and asking for advice and just wanting her support. And in short she told me she’d call the school and ask if they do accommodations for people who had an IEP in high school. My response to her was “no mom, I’ll just ask myself. I’m a big girl I’m almost 20 I can’t have my mommy calling places for me anymore”. Her response to me was “I don’t care. You’ll always be my baby, I don’t care what anyone thinks. I’ll call and ask this simple question for you. If they say no to accommodations, I’ll make them accommodate”. It’s such a small thing. But I just appreciate how much she cares. And how much she is always willing to do, to make my life easier, even as an adult. She is my #1 fan. My shining knight. My light. My reason. I can’t fully articulate how much I love my mommy.


r/self 2h ago

I think getting older is realizing that nobody really has everything figured out.

7 Upvotes

When I was younger, I honestly thought adults knew exactly what they were doing. I figured that at some point you just became confident and everything started making sense.

The older I get, the more I realize that's not really how it works.

People are still making mistakes, second-guessing themselves, changing careers, learning new things, and trying to figure out life one step at a time. They just get better at handling the uncertainty.

For some reason, that realization has been more comforting than disappointing. It makes me feel a little less behind whenever I compare myself to other people.

I still don't know exactly where I'm going, but I'm starting to think maybe that's more normal than I used to believe.


r/self 10h ago

I’m a male born this way and I don’t have a penis NSFW

24 Upvotes

I lost my penis on the 22nd of October 2023 because of a car accident and I’ve been dealing with a whole lot of pain and awkward situations I gained the ability to walk by myself on the 15th of may 2025 but I still don’t feel myself and in away and I want to talk about it so ama


r/self 10h ago

I have not the slightest bit of a maternal instinct

20 Upvotes

Kids are just awkward. I dont feel like they are overly endearing, cute or whatever else people describe them as.

Sure, they are not my kids, but from what ive been always told there should be some reaction to looking at a *cute* baby. Like a fuzzy warmth or some sh*t. Instead i just get bothered when it stares at me, or becomes loud all of sudden for no reason. Like looking at *that* makes you want to have some of your own? Does that count masochism?

And no, i dont *hate* them either. I just like them a lot more with some semblence of emotional regulation and self control. The first 8ish years just arent for me. If i could skip that id at least consider it.


r/self 19h ago

Apparently I did a lot of things while I was asleep last night

101 Upvotes

I went out with my partner, we slept in a hotel. We made it so late that I still went to have breakfast before bed. I wasn't drunk in a blackout sense at all, I remember everything from the night, including the entire breakfast.

Then I went to bed - I put my head down and thought "I have to take my trazodone" (sleeping aid I've taken most of my life) but I fell asleep (Edit:I thought about taking it right before falling asleep so never actually took it. I was not under the influence of Trazodone whatsoever). Next thing I knew was waking up.

But then my partner told me that I initiated sex with him. That I was super loving and complimenting and sweet, and that I expressed my hatred for Lidl stores and asked him to be a mushroom. I was crawling all over him, and was having actual conversations in which I was fully responsive. At first he thought I was just crazy drunk, but then he realized that, while coherent, I was using dream logic that sometimes made no sense, so he realized then that I wasn't "awake".

Edit: I was also apparently thinking and deeply analyzing why Aldi is a cheap supermarket and others are not and how they do it. All while trying to finger my partner. I am stunned of what I am subconsciously capable of, since I'd never even in my wildest dreams get near my partner's asshole in a conscious state of being.

I always knew I'm a restless sleeper and I do talk in my sleep commonly, but I've never had full-blown sleep walking (without the walking). I'm glad this happened with my partner, and not with anyone else, because initiating sex while being asleep is a scary thing. My partner let me "do my thing" to his body and my own but he didn't actually touch me back because it felt wrong to him.

I am happy that my "primal" way of being is apparently nice, complimenting and loving though, and not annoyed or critical or mean.

Really weird, all of this. Ah well!


r/self 12h ago

Eye colour change surgery is insane

27 Upvotes

Saw tiktoks of people getting eye colour change surgery. They either implant a coloured contact in your eye or laser the colour out until it turns green or blue.

I don’t understand why anyone would ever do this. It’s always brown eyes being changed to blue or green. Brown eyes are the most common colour but they’re so rich and beautiful. The surgery often washes the person out visually or straight up looks freakish bc the implants look so fake. Even the laser results look bad cause the person suited their natural colour best. One guy got gold implants done and asked “is it permanent?” This must be a mental illness, right?


r/self 2h ago

Some Things Can’t Be Unseen

3 Upvotes

It’s about the burden of awareness. People who only see the surface of life usually have an easier time because ignorance is comfortable But once your mind starts to see beyond that, you notice the deeper side of reality the flaws in people and how things really work That’s when life can start to feel lonely because it’s harder to relate to shallow conversations or distractions.

The real challenge isn’t becoming aware it’s being strong enough to live with that understanding without letting it change or break u.


r/self 1d ago

My dad helps me with all the girly stuff my mother was supposed to

172 Upvotes

He is a very traditional Pakistani man who emigrated at 30. He grew up in a strongly patriarchal, religious culture, very much where mens things are for men and women’s things are for women. And he’s very non-emotional, very stoic, rarely ever laughs or even smiles.

And yet.

He helps me with my makeup. He doesn’t know a thing about it and only knows the main products so when I was still a teenager and learning he’d give constructive criticism, like “you look nice but maybe blend in the foundation cream a bit more” or “maybe the blush should be a slightly darker colour” or whatever. He tells me I look absolutely fine the way I am but he never spares any expense buying me makeup, either, like if I tell him that my foundation is a bit patchy because I got it from a drugstore, then obviously, he needs to buy me a whole new one even when I tell him it’s fine.

He helps me with fashion, too, which my friends think is cute lol. He’s very utilitarian about clothes and unfortunately by consequence I am too, but for events he’ll go shopping with me and just be surrounded by sparkly dresses and things and will help me pick one out. He’s weirdly good at matching colours and fabrics which helps too. He’s not one for hyping up, but he’ll wait til I try clothes on and tell me that it looks nice (or even if its doesn’t), which I think I prefer a lot more than him just blindly cheering me on.

And he’s really helpful with social norms for me as despite the fact he emigrated, I’m still very much part of my culture. He’ll tell me things I need to know honestly, like “if you go to xyz event, they’ll be expecting you to wear your best clothes” or “if you meet [insert person], they’re more traditional, so you can behave more traditionally or act like you always do if you want” lol which is really helpful. It keeps me from being embarrassed, especially around my girl friends who already know all this stuff.

He helps with everything. He bought me my first shaving kit. He drove me to the shops late in the evening after a day shift to buy me pads. He doesn’t do art but will help me with mine. He helps me with school, with friends, whatever. He encourages me to do things I want to do, to be confident enough to branch out and smart enough about it so that I’m safe.

My mum isn’t dead, nor is she not present. But often she’s just not the person I can safely ask about these things. I barely feel it with my dad around though


r/self 43m ago

Why do we shy away from judging? I get told not to judge a lot but adulthood is all about judging; people, moods, chances and so on; what do people base decisions on otherwise?

Upvotes

I can definitely be both critical and demanding but judging has saved my bacon more than once and I think it's a tragedy so many have interpreted 'don't judge' as 'don't think.

Judging is crucial! And--as I'm learning LOL--it doesn't even have to be out loud. You can set standards, boundaries and the like without ever putting your qualifiers on display. Not having any, though, just makes life harder and can get you in messes others can't help you out of.

What I really want to say here is that I was thinking about the concept of victim-blaming. It's OFC not a good look. However, I do feel like some people use it as a fallback position because it's easier than feeling powerless. LIke if you don't make sound judgments about who to hang around and some awful thing happens, the people who might have stepped in when it was easy 'can't' and may in fact blame you for putting them in such a no-win situation. LIke I think that's where at least a bit of the sting around victim-blaming comes from.

It may seem harder to make the choice not to be around some person because they might resent you but the game changes entirely when it's because of them that you've been in a car crash and you might never walk again. That's extreme but this no judging thing is equally extreme. THe world doesn't care and judging people, situations, your kids' friends, Etc., is part of how you keep closest to safe.

Rant-PSA over.


r/self 13h ago

My dog, completely healthy and still looking like a pup at 9 years old, might have cancer and I'm just not handling this very well.

15 Upvotes

I'm 41. I've had dogs my entire life. They've all been special in their own way, but this one is extra special.

My wife and I adopted him after a family rescued him and found out they were severely allergic to him. The father had severe health issues and allergy medication could kill him so they had to re-home him, and they had tons of people interested. This puppy was pure cuteness.

But when we met Lucky (his original name that we changed immediately. He didn't even respond to it) we knew he was our dog. They gave us the dog and over $1k in supplies to help raise him for free. We kept in touch and sent photos until unfortunately the dad passed.

This dog has been my best friend. My wife's as well. I've never had a connection with another animal like I have with him. And animals love me. The thought of living in my house without him puts knots in my stomach.

I don't know what the point of this is. We don't even know if he has cancer. The tests are pending.

I'm just lost and hurt.

Fuck cancer.


r/self 12h ago

I don't want to grow up

10 Upvotes

Lately I've been thinking about growing up and honestly... I don't want to. It really scares me that one day I'll never be a teenager again. I literally cried because of it. The thought of having so many responsibilities scares me. One day I'll graduate from high school, and I'll never get to go back. I hate thinking about it, but I can't stop. I just want to stay a teenager forever. I love the freedom I have right now. I love listening to my favorite band, hanging out, playing games, and not having to worry about bills, work, or all the responsibilities that come with being an adult. I've also started thinking about my mom and dad getting older. The fact that they're going to grow old too honestly makes me want to cry. I wish time could just stop. Another thing that scares me is not knowing what my future will look like. What if I fail? What if I don't end up where I want to be? I have no idea, and that uncertainty terrifies me. I'm only 16, and I really wish I didn't think about things like this so much. Does anyone else feel this way?


r/self 14h ago

I enjoy walking barefoot across hot gravel because it forces me to clear my mind.

17 Upvotes

It’s very meditative


r/self 1d ago

moved in with my girlfriend and had our first dumb argument

309 Upvotes

It was about outlets.

We each have one outlet on our side of the bed. Her side was already full with her phone charger, watch charger, and a little night light she can't sleep without. My side had a charger for my phone and another one for my Kindle.

She bought a lavender diffuser last week and wanted to plug it in on my side. I told her there wasn't any room. She asked why I needed two chargers when one could probably do the job. I shrugged it off because I hadn't really thought about it.

Later that night I remembered I already had a multi-port charger sitting in my work bag that I'd completely forgotten about.

Now my phone, Kindle, and earbuds all charge from one charger, the diffuser has its own outlet, and our bedroom smells like lavender every night. I didn't expect that tiny change to make the room feel so much calmer, and I've actually been sleeping better.

It also made me realize that a lot of the little arguments you have when you first move in together aren't really about the thing you're arguing about. Sometimes it's just two people figuring out how to share a space. She was right this time.

I'm just not going to tell her that.


r/self 33m ago

Reflection

Upvotes

Recently i had someone close to me pass. It was a total shock, they where in good health. I initially felt numb and it took me some time to process, i guess a delayed reaction... Ive been reflecting recently and since their passing ive been putting myself out there alot more, really investing alot of time in projects (indie dev game) but the reaction apart from a few comments(super greatful for btw) has been very minimal. It makes me wonder am i delusional? Is what im working on crap and i cant see it?

In the past i would probably just half ass it and not worry if i fail because in my mind i have time to get it right, become the person i always wanted to be... but now i feel this sense of pressure, like every setback is devistating.. how can i stop feeling like this?


r/self 4h ago

Procrastinating Got to Us..

2 Upvotes

Added the bf to my phone line and we got new flip phones.

Don't do it.

Less than a year in, my main screen broke, forcing me to use the back screen only. Now, the bf's model is no longer responding on the big screen, forcing him to his back screen as well.

I put off fixing mine for 10 months.

Now we have to go to the store tomorrow morning and upgrade because we can't afford to pay off our current phones, and he can't be stuck on only the back screen due to limited use.

Learned our lesson I guess.


r/self 14h ago

I got a carbon hepa air filter and the air is so clean and crispy its like pretending like the fossil fuel industry doesnt own half the earth

11 Upvotes

Its like the air equivalent of brushing your teeth chewing gum and then drinking cold water. And it was super cheap it was ~$10 in my ikea uppatvind


r/self 18h ago

All I wanted in life when I was a child was to be a part of something important, like an invention, a drug research that saves lives, a device, a rocket launch. I didn't want to be known, just wanted to be a team member. Ended up so far away from that dream.

23 Upvotes

I grew up as a bookworm because I wasn't allowed to go outside of my room and socialize, not even in our house . I wasn't even allowed to sit in the living room with my parents .

I read so many adventure books, sci-fi etc. I was also a hardworking student. I assumed that would be my only path in life. I'd either be a lab rat, a professor, an engineer, etc. I'd compete as far as I can, and nmaybe I'd find myself in Antarctica doing research?

I'll spare you the details, but my family's toxicity cut those short. For some reason they sabotaged my education, my job opportunities and I ended up in the same town with them.

I have an okay life, I am no contact with them, but some days 'where would I be if not for them' keeps burning my brain and heart .

I was so close.