What Is Threads? A Recap Of My First Wild 24 Hours On The App
The boxing match between M̶u̶s̶k̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶Z̶u̶c̶k̶ Twitter and Threads is officially on.
The lowdown on the latest social media platform. Image: Instagram/ @garrett_mcnamara.
Threads has entered the... thread?
Last night, Meta, the parent company to Instagram and Facebook, launched yet another social media platform - this time, to rival Twitter.
You know Twitter - the one bought by Elon ‘be in the office five days a week or else’ Musk for a staggering $US44 billion – bold move.
True to my typical Gen-Z self, I had severe FOMO and was in a panic about securing my username early. So of course, I immediately downloaded it to my phone.
Let’s just say, everything that followed was profoundly unexpected.
What is the Threads app?
But firstly (and mainly for the over 30s, hey!) what even is Threads?
To put it simply, Threads is what happens if Meta asked to copy Twitter’s homework and Twitter was all like, Yeah no probs, just make sure you change a few words, yeah?”
In a nutshell, Threads can only be described as everyone collectively entering their unhinged Twitter: circa 2011 era. Cringe af, but also, totally here for it.
Meta describes their new platform as a place “where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today, to what’ll be trending tomorrow.”
As our queen Miranda Priestley would say, “Ground-breaking.”
But you know... whatever.
Instantly addictive, Threads offers a few points of difference that I personally think sets it apart from its troublesome counterpart – that is, other than having a different billionaire as its captain.
It’s Twitter, but by... Instagram?
My first thought was that it was pretty interesting that the only way to log on is through Instagram. This is actually pretty convenient if you already have an Instagram account, as Threads lets you import everything across from one app to the other, from your profile picture and bio, to any privacy requests or account settings.
Impressively, your Instagram handle can also follow over, as well as an automatic option to continue following the same Insta accounts on Threads. This is obviously super important, as then I didn’t get those ‘Can I be bothered?’ vibes of starting again on an entirely new app.
Like Carrie Bradshaw though, I couldn’t help but wonder - why Instagram?
Perhaps with everyone slowly migrating off Facebook to the 'gram over the last couple of years, the chances are that Insta holds more of Meta’s desired target audience. Or, maybe given the fact there are millions of creators already on Instagram who are either off Twitter, or never used it in the first place, the likelihood of early adoption is probably high!
"It's giving unhinged millennial" - Images: Threads / @garrett_mcnamara
So, how does Threads work?
Um...exactly like Twitter?
I mean, we know Meta have been c̶o̶p̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶p̶p̶s̶ creating upgraded versions of other platforms for years, as we’ve seen with Facebook (Myspace 2.0), Reels (Vine 2.0), and Stories (Snapchat 2.0) before. But even so… like a needle, I can’t help feeling a certain pull to Threads. I know, dammit - Zuck’s done it again.
You can set up your profile to be public and have anyone interact with and follow you, or a private account where you can approve who is seeing your content. You can then go ahead and post threads (like tweets) where people (or just your followers, if you choose) can repost, like, and add new comments under yours, ultimately creating a ‘thread.’
What is good and bad about the Threads app so far?
For those who love a good search, #sorry! Threads doesn’t allow the use of hashtags or searching for specific topics, at least for now.
How the algorithm works is yet to be discovered, with the app’s only current features including sharing your own content, and interacting with other users.
On the plus side though, the design is quite sleek, and it’s nice to scroll through everyone’s intrusive thoughts with ease, so I guess I’ll be sticking around for now.
So, is it worth getting a Threads app account?
My verdict: Threads has a funny way of seeming both new and familiar all at once. There’s a nostalgic undertone with its Instagram design, but with the fun and thrill of new features at the same time. Like the first time you add salt to the avocado toast you've had for years, or when you take in an episode of the Queer Eye reboot.
It’s almost like something deep and repressed within has been in deep sleep for years – with Threads providing the ultimate resurgence for insufferable microblogging for creators worldwide – and I’m here for it.
While we are only in the early stages of the platform’s release, it’s hard to tell whether Threads will (ahem) ‘unravel’ Twitter once and for all.
Not everyone is using platform (I mean… it has only been 24 hours, but you know…) so currently, it’s just over-populated with influencers with only themselves to read them – (It’s me. Hi.)
Alas, I must reserve judgement and enjoy this new world for what it is while it lasts - ad and Kardashian free.
Will you try out the new Threads app?
- Yeah, just to see what all the fuss is about
- Nah, can't be bothered
