This assumes that the general Reddit user is even aware that the downvote button is for content moderation (downvoting off topic posts/comments, trolls, and things that are against the rules). The average new user and even probably most of the daily users doesn't know that I'd wager. Further, tone is difficult to read from text, and a lot of the time if I downvote something at all (I don't usually see much point) it's either specifically because the comment or post in question is redundant/adds nothing to the conversation, it's potentially dangerous, or the tone I get from it is trollish or condescending (and therefore toxic). I wonder if that is considered childish or whatever by the people who get downvoted.