[lee martell]

What does the somewhat new phrase “red pills” mean?
I have an idea how to interpret it, but would like to know for sure. I don’t know any 30 year olds to ask about it.

[Roman_War_Criminal]

Here you go:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_pill_and_blue_pill

red pill
noun
noun: red pill; plural noun: red pills
used to refer to a process by which a person’s perspective is dramatically transformed, introducing them to a new and typically disturbing understanding of the true nature of a particular situation.
“I had no real idea what horrors these animals suffered before getting to my plate. Then I took the red pill, and now I can never go back”

[Codeflier]

It’s from the movie The Matrix. The red pill allowed you to see reality.

[jmacusa]

It's a reference to the movie “Matrix’’ staring Keanu Reeves set in a dystopian world where one swallows a red pill and suddenly see through the web of lies and false images that makes up this dystopian society.

It means to see the light. Going from being a servile sheep to a roaring tiger, in a way of putting it.

[madison10]

It isn’t new. From a movie

[fretzer]

Watch “The Matrix”.

[philman_36]

What does the somewhat new phrase “red pills” mean?

You got a message...look at this! It's a red pill!

Not knowing, you ask. (well done)

And you had to get red pilled (informed) on red pill (revelation of reality) to become red pilled (informed).

You can't make this stuff up.

[katana]

From the scifi film The Matrix. The protagonist is offered two pills. The blue one will restore him to his imaginary existence in what goes for the "real" world (largely based on the 1990's ... IIRC). The red pill will remove him from the massive machine which uses his brain as a disposable battery power source along with billions of other trapped humans. Basically, a red pill removes the scales from one's eyes.