For a couple of days now, Threads has been trending on social media trend tables, on every other person’s lips, and have been suggested to Social media users. Curiosity or algorithm probably brought you here, Either way, you are about to dive into why Threads is the talk of the town. Also, why you are missing out if you haven’t joined Threads.
Many people will argue that Meta is about to take over the social media era. Are they completely wrong? Maybe not, as they own some of the largest networking platforms. Facebook, Whatsapp, and Instagram are all owned by Meta. Just new to the group is Threads.
Getting Started
On July 5, 2023, Meta launched Threads, a new conversation-based app nearly identical to the format of Twitter. The concept of how Threads works isn’t an entirely new idea. If you have been a Twitter user, Threads works just like that. Except that Meta brought its platform integration into Threads. Just like how you can link your WhatsApp account with your Facebook account. Your Facebook account into your Instagram account, Meta links your Instagram account into this Threads app. Simply put, an Instagram account is required to log in.
Although, some of the users’ opinions about the integration are dissatisfied ones. Why? Because you do not get to create a Threads account yourself, neither can you access it from Threads.net (Here, a QR code redirects users to the App Store/ Play Store).
Once the Threads app is downloaded, it asks users to log in with their Instagram credentials or create an account if they don’t already have one. All thanks to the Instagram integration though, as users don’t have to build a following on Threads from scratch. Users have the option to transfer their Followers and Following automatically from Instagram, so it is pretty easy to find their friends and favorite accounts. Interestingly, blocked accounts on Instagram remain blocked. While some people think the concept is cool, others are concerned about one of the terms and conditions applied to deleting your Threads data.
What do you think about this rule?
Aim
Threads seeks to bring the same level of engagement to text updates as it does with Instagram pictures and videos update. The goal is to offer a separate, inclusive space for real-time updates and public conversations. The app users can share posts up to 500 characters long, with the ability to include links, photos, and up to 5 minutes videos in their Threads. This is as opposed to Twitter’s 280-character long tweets and 2 minutes 20 seconds video length.
Users’ Opinion
While checking out people’s opinions on this new app, we came across this comment from a Twitter user “Cynical Publius”
I predict that, over time (in the USA at least), Twitter will become the conservative social media site, and Threads will become the “progressive”social media site, for the following reasons:
1. Threads is highly curated and censored. Twitter is not.
2. Twitter gives you personal choices on how to configure your experience. Threads does it automatically, without any input from you.
3. You choose to be on Twitter. Meta automatically creates your Threads account if you are already on Instagram.
4. Twitter minimally collects data on you. Threads accesses every aspect of your life, including your medical and financial data.
5. Threads is sneaky and controlling (see below article). Twitter is transparent and non-intrusive.
Basically, Threads is totalitarian social media: it decides what you can read and hear, free speech is disallowed, it decides how you engage and it treats you like a worker bee in the collective, gathering all your private data for God knows what purposes. So-called “progressives” love that Big Brother level of control and lack of freedom, as they do in real life.
Alternatively, Twitter is liberty-based social media–you get to decide how you engage, no one decides for you what you are going to see or hear, free speech prevails, and you keep your privacy. Conservatives love that freedom, as they do in real life.
These two social media sites are the politics of 2023 in a microcosm.
Do you agree with him? This brings about the question of whether you are missing out if you haven’t joined Threads.
