Despite being backed by Meta, the stable of the world’s biggest social networks, like WhatsApp and Facebook, Threads itself, is no small social network that has been introduced to the public. Photo: Stefani Reynolds (AFP)
Every few years, a new social network is born, and while many fail dismally, some take off to become the world’s “next best thing.”
While many apps like TikTok emerged out of countries like China - Silicon Valley in the US, for years, has been the buzz of tech and social networking development, so it comes as no surprise that the next big social network has been birthed there.
While rivalry exists and is evident among social networks, much like how Instagram introduced Reels to take on TikTok’s short-form video demand - this time, the latest competitor in the playing field is taking on the micro-blog Twitter - head-on.
Despite being backed by Meta, the stable of the world’s biggest social networks, like WhatsApp and Facebook, Threads itself, is no small social network that has been introduced to the public.
Threads had a successful launch, with 100 million sign-ups on July 10, according to data site Quiver Quantitative.
In short, Threads is a new app created by the Instagram team at its parent company, Meta. The new platform enables users to share text updates and join public conversations, and logging in to the app is done using an Instagram account.
Posts on Threads can be up to 500 characters, and you can also include links, photos, and videos up to 5 minutes in length. Meanwhile, the Instagram team has said previously that it has been working hard to make Threads compatible with other open, interoperable social networks.
Since its launch, Threads has reached 114 million, but to its detriment, facing the same teething issues as growing social networks.
According to data analytics company Similarweb, the number of daily active users on Threads dropped from 49 million to 23.6 million in just a week.
Despite this, the platform still sees a lot of potential to overtake Twitter, thanks to easy access to joining the platform.
Signing up for the service is straightforward and simple - so much so that many of Threads’ users were already Instagram users. This meant that Threads could tap into existing users and rapidly grow its user base.
With the prospect of Threads becoming available to even more users in the near future, the user base will likely continue to grow as more people discover the benefits of the platform.
Twitter vs Threads
Twitter and Threads have different types of features. Twitter has ‘trends’ and ‘Moments’, which help to identify and follow trending topics.
Threads does not have such features. Threads also has a ‘thread’ feature which will help to join conversations, but it is not available on Twitter.
Twitter has a ‘retweet with comment’ feature, which allows users to comment on the retweet, but this feature is absent in Thread. Twitter has many features related to video and audio that Threads does not have.
Twitter is also capable of direct and group messaging, which is absent in Thread. Twitter was launched as a website, and it still maintains the website.
It also adapted to app-based versions of iOS and Android, which makes it more flexible and accessible to users. Threads, however, can only be accessed on a smartphone and is only available in app stores.
Twitter has advertisements and features reserved for those who pay for ‘Twitter Blue’. Threads, on the other hand, has no ads, and its features are free of cost. Both platforms have different types of features.
Twitter has ‘trends’ and ‘Moments’ and ‘retweet with comment’ features. Threads has a ‘thread’ feature and lack features related to video and audio, direct messaging and group messaging. Thus, Twitter and Threads have different features that cater to the users’ varying needs.
IOL Tech