Threads is a new app, built by the Instagram team, for sharing text updates and joining public conversations. It was launched on July 5, 2023, by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who described it as a way to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas.
Threads has attracted more than 70 million users within the first 5 days of its launch, and is on its way to 100 million users, posing a potential threat to Twitter, the dominant platform for text-based social media. In this
essay, I will explore the features, benefits and challenges of Threads, and how it compares to other apps in the social media space.

Features of Threads

Threads is a separate app from Instagram, but it uses the same login credentials and verification status. Users can choose to follow the same accounts they do on Instagram, and find more people who share their interests. Posts on Threads can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. Users can also share their Threads posts to their Instagram stories, or as links on other platforms.
Threads has a feed that shows posts from people users follow, and recommended content from new creators they haven’t discovered yet.

Threads also has tools to enable positive, productive conversations. Users can control who can mention them or reply to them within Threads. They can also add hidden words to filter out replies that contain specific
words. They can unfollow, block, restrict or report a profile on Threads by tapping the three-dot menu, and any accounts they have blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads. Threads enforces Instagram’s Community Guidelines on content and interactions in the app.

Threads is designed to be accessible for all users. It has screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions. It also defaults users who are under 16 (or under 18 in certain countries) to private profiles when they join Threads.

Benefits of Threads

Threads offers several benefits for users who want to share their ideas and opinions with text. Some of these benefits are:

Creativity: Threads allows users to express themselves with text, photos, videos and links in a single post. Users can also customize their profile specifically for Threads. This gives users more flexibility and options to showcase their personality and creativity.
Community: Threads helps users connect with friends and creators who share their interests. Users can join public conversations on topics they care about, or start their own threads to engage their followers. Users can also discover new content and people through recommendations on Threads.
Compatibility: Threads is compatible with Instagram, which means users can easily switch between the two apps without losing their verification or followers. Users can also cross-post their content to both platforms, or share it elsewhere with links. This makes it easier for users to reach a wider audience and grow their online presence.
Interoperability: Threads is working toward being compatible with the open, interoperable social networks that Meta believes can shape the future of the internet. This means that users will be able to communicate across different platforms and services without being locked into one ecosystem.

Challenges of Threads

Threads also faces some challenges as a new app in the social media space. Some of these challenges are:

Competition: Threads competes with other established platforms for text-based social media, such as
Twitter, Reddit and Medium. These platforms have loyal user bases, unique features and strong network effects that make it hard for new entrants to gain market share. Threads will have to offer something distinctive and valuable that these platforms don’t have in order to attract and retain users.
Content: Threads relies on user-generated content to fill its feed and spark conversations. However, creating quality content that is engaging, informative and original can be challenging and time-
consuming for users. Threads will have to provide incentives and support for users to create content that meets its standards and guidelines.
Controversy: Threads may encounter controversy over its content moderation policies, privacy practices and social impact. As a platform for public conversations, Threads may host threads that are
controversial, offensive or harmful to some groups or individuals. Threads will have to balance its
commitment to free expression with its responsibility to prevent abuse and misinformation. Threads may also face scrutiny over how it collects, uses and shares user data, especially given Meta’s history of privacy scandals. Additionally, Threads may have unintended consequences on society, such as influencing public opinion, spreading misinformation or amplifying polarization.

Conclusion

Threads is a new app, built by the Instagram team, for sharing text updates and joining public conversations. It was launched in July 2023 by Meta Platforms, formerly known as Facebook. The app aims to take what Instagram does best and expand that to text, creating a positive and creative space to express your ideas. The app has several features, benefits, and challenges that make it different from other social media platforms. Threads app is part of Meta Platforms’ vision to create open, interoperable social networks that can shape the future of the internet.