Meta Introduced Threads – An Innovative Alternative to Twitter

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Date: August 3, 2023

Social media has become a necessity for most internet users. They keep accessing multiple platforms to stay updated, join discussions, and express their opinion regarding various topics. Twitter, a microblogging platform with millions of active users, is considered one of the top social media platforms. However, Twitter has been receiving much criticism lately, mainly because of the change in user experience. 

On the other hand, Threads have entered the social media industry as the most groundbreaking and innovative alternative to Twitter. Commonly known as a subsidiary app of Instagram, Threads have grabbed the attention of worldwide social media users. 

An Intro to Threads

Threads are said to be Meta’s way to compete with Twitter. Twitter is already facing criticism because of various non-friendly initiatives causing users frustration. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, found it the right moment to launch its microblogging Platform in the shape of Threads. It garnered over 100 million users in just 5 days, which is quite surprising, as ChatGPT was considered the most popular Platform earlier, taking 2 months to reach the same milestone. 

Simply put, Threads is a Twitter-like microblogging social media platform. It is even termed Twinstagram and Twitter-killer by some news platforms because of its unusual similarity. The Twitter-Owner, Elon Musk, even threatened to file a legal suit against Meta for copying Twitter. He also reacted against the launch of Threads and its similarity with Twitter by tweeting, “Competition is Fine, Cheating is not.” The tweet turned the heads of many people and gained a lot of engagement, with many people supporting the narrative while others considered Musk afraid of competition. 

Instagram, the parent app of Threads, is known to copy features other platforms offer. For instance, it took the idea of Stories from SnapChat and Reels from TikTok. However, the introduction of Threads under the banner of Instagram has hit the social media world as a surprise. The take of Meta on the launch of threads is “It is a text-based version of Instagram providing a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.” In the meantime, many brands, celebrities, and people have already made their handles on Threads, while others are waiting to go with the flow. 

Key Features of Threads 

While we have discussed a lot about Threads, its parent company, and its competition with Twitter, it is time to look at what Threads has to offer its users. Knowing these things will help us understand how Threads stand in front of Twitter. Further details about the advantages of using Threads are given below.

Larger Character Limit

A clear win of Threads over Twitter is the extended character limit it offers its users. The character limit offered by Threads is 500, which is almost double to 280 characters offered by Twitter. This larger character limit helps users reflect their opinion or express their narratives better without worrying about the character count or use of acronyms. 

Longer Video Duration

Threads allow users to post videos attached having a duration of up to 5 minutes with their posts compared to 2.20 minutes duration videos on Twitter. Hence, Threads has a clear advantage over Twitter when it comes to the duration of videos. The longer duration of videos allows users to back their narrative with detailed visual content. 

Extended Reach and Engagement

Another advantage of Threads over Twitter is the organized manner of posts on Meta’s newly introduced Platform. Moreover, the text posted on Threads enjoys better reach and engagement compared to tweets. Moreover, the posts generated in response to a particular thread also enjoy better engagement from viewers.

Easier Signup

One standout advantage of threads is the ease it offers to its user for signup. They don’t have to enter their necessary details from scratch. Threads is a subsidiary app of Instagram so it can drive necessary data from it. Hence, users with active Instagram accounts can easily sign up for Threads with the same username. This easier signup feature has played a key role in helping Threads gain millions of users overnight. 

No Effort to Build Connections

Another advantage of using Threads is the ease it offers to build connections on the Platform. Threads drive necessary data from Instagram, so it can easily determine the people you follow and those who follow you. You can simply choose to follow all the people you are following on Instagram, and you will become their follower as soon as they signup. The same is the case with people who follow you on Instagram. 

Limitations of Threads

Like every other Platform, Threads also have a few cons worth mentioning. Therefore, we have also discussed them here to ensure you get everything. Read on to learn more about these cons. 

A Secret Catch

As mentioned earlier, having an active Instagram account makes you eligible to signup for Threads with the same user name. While this may sound like an advantage, it is practically an advantage; it also acts as a catch. Suppose you want to download your Threads account, but you won’t be able to do it. You must also delete your Instagram account to do it, which is the secret catch. 

No Support for Gifs and Hashtags

Although Threads is termed Twitter-like by many sources, it still lacks various features affiliated with it. For instance, users can’t see top trends and hashtags on Threads. Similarly, Twitter offers support for GIFs, which helps users give a fun touch to their tweets. However, Threads doesn’t offer support for GIFs at the moment. 

In the End

Threads, the Twitter-like platform, has surely hit the social media industry with all its might, and many people are even calling it Twitter killer. While the war between both platforms has begun, we can’t call any of them a sure winner right now. It depends on the needs and usage methods of users. Some people are sticking to Twitter, while others have moved on. The time will tell who is the clear winner. Until then, let’s wait and watch!