Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is extreme group think in subreddits like /r/politics and /r/libertarian. The main problem is that the quality of content degrades extremely quickly as the community grows. It has been eternal september there since Digg v4.
What is the difference between describing something as extreme group think, and describing it as a circle jerk? How does one differentiate between this being a valid description, and an unwillingness to accept that one's position is the unpopular one?
The audience you're describing it to. Nothing else, really. "Circlejerk" is such an overused term at this point people even use it to talk about anything remotely popular they dislike.
Case in point (googled): https://www.reddit.com/r/circlejerk/comments/220al8/frozen_f... - https://www.reddit.com/r/circlejerk/comments/2405y9/frozen_f...