Meta introduced a new app, called Threads, created by the Instagram team that allows users to share text updates and join public conversations. Since its launch on July 5, Threads has had more than 100 million users. The application can be accessed by logging in through a user’s Instagram account. Posts can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos and videos up to 5 minutes long.
Threads’ similarity to Twitter has many wondering if it is the “Twitter killer,” especially given the recent changes at Twitter following Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover last year that have left many users frustrated.
He spoke to GW Today David Karpf, associate professor at the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs about the Threads phenomenon. His work focuses on the strategic communication practices of political associations in America, with a particular interest in Internet-related strategies.
Q: What are the recent changes to Twitter that have users looking for alternative apps?
A: There are many changes that have caused users to flee. The most recent change came on July 1, when Musk instituted “rate caps” on Twitter. Users who don’t pay $8 a month for Twitter Blue suddenly couldn’t upload more tweets once they’d scrolled past 600. (Musk claims this was a move to fight bots and AI scrapers. It seems more likely that the system just crashed). again. Twitter frequently breaks since Musk fired most of the engineering team.)
Infinite scrolling is one of the most basic features of a mobile social networking service. It’s also in the service’s financial interest, as more scrolling means more ad impressions.
This, of course, is on top of months of degraded service and reduced user base.
Q: Have these changes to Twitter had an impact on the timing of the launch of Instagram threads?
A: It certainly seems that way. Meta decided to develop threads because Musk’s Twitter was falling apart. Threads launched without several main features (a reverse chronological feed of the people you follow and text-based search). So it looks like the latest Twitter outage caused Threads to start immediately.
Q: What has made Threads the fastest growing app with over 100 million users after just five days?
A: Threads starts with Instagram’s user base and Meta’s unlimited budget. These are two main advantages compared to com platforms Blue sky and Mastodon, which have had to grow organically from scratch.
Q: What are some of the attractive features of Threads?
A: There is a line of thinking that says “all you need is scale. Users want to be where all the other users are”. Meta achieved scale immediately, while providing most of the functionality that people missed from the old Twitter. For users who want a Twitter that (a) doesn’t break all the time and (b) isn’t full of Elon Musk fans clamoring for attention, Threads offers a viable alternative.
Q: What are the similarities between Twitter and Threads?
A: Threads is very similar to Twitter in terms of design and structure. It still doesn’t have a reverse chronological “follow” feed, search functionality, trending hashtags or direct messages. At least the first two will need to be added soon.
Threads’ algorithmic feed is dominated by celebrities, brands and Instagram influencers right now. This may look different from Twitter. And it’s unclear whether Threads will be as vital during breaking news and political events as Twitter was. There’s still a lot to figure out here.
Q: Twitter was unique for many reasons, including allowing users to get real-time information on breaking news situations from experts and serving as a meeting point for activists to organize protests and start movements. Have changes to Twitter interfered in any way with these aspects of the user experience? Do you see these Twitter looks playing out in Threads?
A: Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram and Threads, has indicated that he wants to stay away from breaking news and politics. He thinks they’re more of a headache than they’re worth to the company. Therefore, these key aspects may not be reproduced in Threads.
And yes, Twitter is already basically broken for both of these purposes. Expert communities have fled to Mastodon and Bluesky. Misinformation is rampant. Breaking news threads are now dominated by Elon fans who paid upwards of $8 a month to type “bon” or “lol” in response to every post. Elon Musk spent $44 billion to show the world that he’s terrible at running Twitter.
Q: Many Twitter users have been using the app for over a decade. In that time, they’ve amassed a huge following and built communities of like-minded people. Do you see people hesitant to leave Twitter for Threads for these reasons? Will people be able to find similar niche groups on Threads?
A: There are services you can use to find who you follow on other platforms like Mastodon and Bluesky. But yes, users have certainly spent more than a decade curating who they follow and building an audience. This is hard to give up. It becomes much easier when Twitter crashes all the time and your list of followers stop logging into the site.
I have over 40,000 followers on Twitter, but my posts are rarely seen by more than a couple thousand people. The platform is a ghost town.
Not sure if Threads will be the new Twitter. It has scale, but it is dominated by brands and influencers. It might just be a text-based Instagram. I still think Bluesky is the strongest potential Twitter replacement. Bluesky is still in an invite-only beta. But Bluesky is Twitter without all the things that ruined Twitter.
