When mindlessly browsing Reddit, I found that I usually just jump directly to the comments, read a couple, and continue. Lemmy seems a bit more curated (read: smaller), and therefore it’s easier to actually engage in discussions, which leads me to read the article, think critically about it, and respond (if I have something to say) in the comments–bigger is not always better!
I avoided all comments on reddit except for a handful of subs. Most big subs had a misinformation problem that they either couldn’t or wouldn’t address, and threads would get flooded with sealioning and straight up misinformation so often that I just kinda gave up.
But I hardly ever read the linked articles either. I basically used Reddit as a glorified RSS reader, just scanning headlines and moving on unless something was really interesting or important.
Now on lemmy I do both. I read the article and the comments. Not sure how long it’ll last, though. I fear it’s just a matter of time until the garbage finds us here.