Meta’s new text-based social media app, Threads, is here. All of a sudden, hot people need to find a personality. Let’s go through some of the highlights and chat about exactly what’s happening as we witness the dawn of this massive new social media app.
What is Threads?
Threads is a product of the tech company Meta, which is owned by Mark Zuckerberg.
It was essentially created to be an alternative to Twitter, an app recently bought by Elon Musk.
Famously, Musk has driven Twitter into the ground both financially and culturally.
Twitter is now only valued at one-third of what Musk initially paid for it and on top of that Musk has sacked hundreds of workers, enacted a bizarre paid Twitter Blue subscription and most recently limited the number of Tweets users can see daily.
Enter, Threads. A simple way to consume text-based content, minus the chaotic baggage of Twitter.
Over 50 million people have now joined Threads and we won’t lie, it doesn’t feel nearly as hellish, or as buggy as its closest competitor.
What’s on the Threads app?
Currently, it’s pretty barebones in terms of features.
It’s literally just a feed of “Threads” that the early adopters of the platform have published. A mixture of influencers, celebs, comedians and companies.
Unlike Meta’s other apps, Facebook and Instagram, there aren’t any advertisements on Threads. This makes it feel like you’re seeing things that you organically want to see.
It probably won’t be this way for long as Meta scurries to monetise the platform but hey, let’s enjoy it while it lasts.
There’s also no “explore” function so you can’t see what’s “trending” in your geographical area or globally.
Again, this will probably be added soon but Meta likely wanted to avoid doing too much on day one and risk launching a bug-ridden app.
Should I download Threads?
Totally up to you.
If you already have an Instagram account, Meta has made it very simple to set up a Threads account.
In fact, you can only make a Threads account if you already have an Instagram account.
You can choose to import your profile pic, your bio and even your contact list over from Instagram, making for a smooth and endorphin-filled transition as you rapidly gain followers.
There have been a few alarm bells being run over data-harvesting concerns and Meta has a very long track record of this. So, while it’s not ideal, it’s not unexpected.
Another thing to take into account is that your Threads account is tied to your Instagram account.
This means you won’t be able to delete your Threads account without also deleting your Instagram.
Food for thought…
Show me some funny Threads, ya dogs
Okay FINE.
Here’s a selection we’ve procured while scrolling at our desks all day at “work”.
So there you have it.
Happy Threading.
Be sure to follow PEDESTRIAN.TV on Threads where we’ll be hanging shit, slinging mud and dropping tea as per usual.
