>I think most people that use reddit are using it for specific sub-reddits, not for memes or 'shitposting'.
Reddit is #17 on Alexa topsites, surrounding by search engines like google and yahoo and video content providers like Netflix and Youtube. I can't imagine reddit being the bastion for intellectual discussions on specific topic as much as any of those other sites are.
I use reddit as a google fix. Essentially I search for what I want + reddit then click the links in the posts. This has become harder due to the pile of shit that is google Amp but if it still works
In particular Searx[1], which is a search engine aggregator with dozens of backends, including one for Reddit. You can self-host it or use one of the public instances[2].
If you self host your searches likely won't be as anonymous as going through somethinglike duckduckgo or startpage unless you have a dedicated VPN 24/7
Reddit is #17 on Alexa topsites, surrounding by search engines like google and yahoo and video content providers like Netflix and Youtube. I can't imagine reddit being the bastion for intellectual discussions on specific topic as much as any of those other sites are.