Last week, Meta launched “Threads,” a new social media app similar to Twitter that garnered 10 million signups in the first seven hours according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
What is Threads, you may ask? Well, according to Threads’ own marketing copy found in several app stores, “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things—or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”
Or, more succinctly, The Wall Street Journal says “if you’re wondering what it’s like to use the new Threads app, just close your eyes and picture Twitter but with a lot less Elon Musk.” Essentially, users sign up for the app using their existing Instagram account and then, instead of focusing on videos and photos, they focus on posting text—in 500 characters or less.
So far, the reviews are mixed. Some folks are loving it. A reporter for The Guardian said it’s like “Twitter with fewer rough edges” and that it feels “substantially less confrontational, less aggressive.” The Daily Beast reports that some Twitter employees using Threads prefer its sign-up process to their own company’s app. And Meta seems to be taking safety at least somewhat seriously, since profiles of users ages 16 and under are automatically defaulted into a private account.
Others aren’t fans. A New York Times journalist (and self-proclaimed “Twitter addict”) dislikes that content is interest-based instead of chronologically based. That means users will find their feeds inundated with content from influencers and companies pushing products instead of stuff from their friends. One tech analyst said he’d “rather eat broccoli for the full day than be on Threads.”
And, of course, Twitter isn’t thrilled with the launch of Threads either. It’s only been a week, but Twitter has already blocked links on its site to Threads. Additionally, Twitter has threatened to sue Meta for violating “intellectual property rights.”
If that weren’t enough, Twitter CEO Elon Musk has not only challenged Mark Zuckerberg to a literal cage fight, but he’s also grotesquely suggested comparing genital sizes, says Business Insider.
Threads may unravel in the coming months—a passing fad in the landscape of social media. But in the meantime, parents, here’s what you need to know before letting your kids download the app or setting up an account for yourself:
- Threads uses your existing Instagram account to create your Threads account—which means all your data from that app gets transferred over. So if that’s a privacy concern for your family, you may want to avoid the app for now.
- Threads collects data on how and how often you use Threads (and other Meta products) to provide personalized ads and content. So if you’re hoping that Threads will break bad personal habits built on Instagram and Facebook, you probably won’t find the solution here.
- If you decide not to use Threads, keep in mind that you can only permanently delete your account if you delete your Instagram account as well. (And if you’ve kept up with Plugged In’s blog, you know that process can be harried.)
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