Threads, Meta’s latest social media platform, surprised users by launching on Wednesday night, a few hours earlier than its scheduled Thursday 10 am ET release.
Dubbed by some as the “Twitter Killer”, Threads has a similar look and feel to its microblogging counterpart in Twitter offering users the ability to post, repost, and like messages that come up in their feed. Moreover, users won’t necessarily have to start from scratch so to speak on another social media platform if they already have an established Instagram account. Upon signup, new users can essentially transfer over their Instagram information, including followers to their new Threads account.
“Our vision is to take the best parts of Instagram and create a new experience for text, ideas and discussing what’s on your mind,” Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in an Instagram post after Threads was made available for download in both the Apple and Google app stores. “I think the world needs this kind of friendly community, and I’m grateful to all of you who are part of Threads from day one.”
The launch of Threads is timely, given the current state of social media. Many Twitter users have grown increasingly dissatisfied with the platform, particularly since owner Elon Musk recently throttled accounts in an effort to promote “Twitter Blue”. Additionally, there has been a notable increase in hate accounts since Musk assumed control.
Nonetheless, it’s certainly going to be interesting to see what kind of impact Threads has, especially when it comes to the unbalanced nature of Twitter. We’ve seen other similar platforms come onto the scene recently like Mastodon and HIVE, neither of which, however, has made any meaningful strides in upending Twitter at their own game. Threads though definitely seems like a formidable opponent given its already-established presence within the social media business.
You can follow BOT on Threads at theempirebot.threads.net and EMPIRE Media at theempiremediax.threads.net.