Threads needs no introduction. The announcement of its launch was met with fireworks from the social media community, particularly Twitter users.
But is Threads really worth it? Is it a replica of Twitter? Will it give you a revolutionary social media experience, or is it yet another disappointment?
Fortunately for you, we’ve compiled some benefits, some red alerts, and some of our own predictions for the future.
THE GOOD:
Similar User Experience:
Threads has a smooth, simple, and fairly similar UI UX. The platform may be new, but the overall concept is conventional and easy to understand. Its user interface is also very similar (perhaps suspiciously similar?) to Twitter, with the ability of users to like, report and comment on Threads. By clicking the three dots at the top right corner of the message, you can mute or hide a post, block a user, or report a post.
Pretty straightforward, right?
Direct Connection to Instagram:
If you’re already on Instagram, you should have no issue signing up for Threads. You can use the same log-in and handle, although Threads does give you the freedom to personalise your bio and the link to your Threads account.
Threads also allows you to follow all the accounts you’ve already followed on Instagram with just a single click. It’s not just one-way communication – those accounts can find you and follow you just as easily. This means that the most difficult and exhausting part of any social media experience – building a follower base from the ground and wanting to claw your eyes out as you do so – can be easily bypassed from Threads.
That’s not it! If you desperately want a Thread on your Instagram feed, you don’t need to bother posting screenshots, as Threads lets you post threads directly on your Instagram account as stories and posts.
Longer Post and Video Length:
One of the most frustrating drawbacks of Twitter was the limited post length and video length. Long-winded users and creators were constantly held back from expressing themselves properly because the words wouldn’t fit into the post.
Fortunately for you, Threads has you back. Posts can be up to 500 characters as opposed to Twitter’s 280, and videos can be up to 5 minutes in length as opposed to Twitter’s 2.20. This clearly gives its users a lot more freedom, right?
Manage Account Privacy:
Threads users can choose between two privacy settings for their account – Private or Public, and can also mute and restrict individual accounts. These settings may or may not vary from your Instagram account.
THE BAD:
Privacy Issues:
Unfortunately, while Threads may be more convenient than Twitter, it’s no less intrusive when it comes to privacy. Actually, it’s arguably worse. While you use the app, Meta is taking some really private information, such as “Health & Fitness”, “Browsing History”, “Search History”, and “Location” (yes, really). There’s also a mysteriously named option called “Other Data”, which can theoretically extend to … any information they want, really.
All in all, Threads may give you a lot, but it also demands a lot. Be careful.
You can’t Chat on Threads:
As of right now, comments on Threads essentially function like replies on Twitter. Unfortunately, you can’t send a private message to another user. DMs and hashtags aren’t options yet, although they’re probably likely to be introduced soon, as long as Threads continues to gobble up followers from Twitter.
If you Delete Threads, You Delete Instagram:
Yes, really. You cannot delete your Threads account without deleting your Instagram account first. That makes it incredibly inconvenient for users who don’t want to permanently move to Threads, and are merely peeking in to see what all the hype is about. It’s definitely a questionable move from Meta, and only time will tell what die-hard Threads users feel about it.
WHAT’S UP FOR THE FUTURE?
Meta has been pretty clear about the fact that there will be lots of future developments for Threads. As their users grow, they’ll probably add a gazillion new features, and DMs will probably be first on the list.
We’ll also probably see a web-based version of Threads soon enough. That’s something quite a few new users have noticed, and it’s something that will drive away quite a few die-hard laptop users unless Meta does something to change it.
What about marketing? Well, Threads has the potential to become a goldmine for brands. Due to their connection to Instagram, they won’t have to worry about building an audience base from scratch and can save lots of time and money in the process. However, there are aspects of Threads that make marketing a difficult process: specifically, Threads’ recommendation algorithm is a bit of a mess, and the search feature only allows users to look for other accounts, not keywords. That’s bound to be a nightmare for potential social media marketers, which is why Threads is still firmly in the “potential” stage of development when it comes to marketing advantages.
Still, it’s not even been a week. If the online world has exploded in just a few days, who knows what it will be like in a month?
In short – the future of Threads looks promising for now, but how much of it is due to users’ genuine interest in the app or desperate desire to leave Twitter is anyone’s guess. Threads has established itself as Twitter’s worthy competitor, but only time will tell if it will truly be able to outrace Twitter and establish itself as the gold medalist of the social media world.
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