Comment Thread

A 'Comment Thread' in the context of social media refers to the chain of responses, replies, or additional comments that appear beneath an original post, status update, photo, video, or piece of shared content when users engage in a discussion or exchange of ideas. It begins with the initial comment made in reaction to the content and continues with any number of additional comments that typically form a linear or hierarchical structure where responses are visibly connected to one another. Most social media platforms exhibit a visible chronological order for a comment thread where the original post and the first comment beneath it are at the top, and the conversation flows down to the latest comment.

This organization can help users experience some interactivity with the person who made the original post and also with other users participating in the discussion that the comment thread represents. The act of commenting upon a shared idea or experience is one of the most overt ways people use to be interactive and participatory on a social media platform. On some platforms, particularly Reddit, comments can also make up a kind of sub-threaded conversation within the main thread that is easier to follow than the main thread itself.

However, on some platforms, you can get lost in the comment thread of just one post, particularly if that post is very popular or has become somewhat controversial.