Once phones became the default device for browsing and commenting on Reddit, comments began to grow shorter. (Some people might claim they can type on their phone just as comfortably as on a keyboard, but this clearly isn’t the case society-wide.)

The sad thing is that even if you are using an actual keyboard and type well, you look like a weirdo on Reddit today if you type longform text. I have seen someone posting merely a couple of solid paragraphs get reactions like “LOL wall of text bro”.

The average person’s use of a phone today is also one reason why it’s not easy for PhpBB-style communities to make a comeback.