'Threads,' the new social media app everyone is talking about
If you're like me, you were probably a little lost when everyone started talking about thread overnight. Is there a sewing convention touring the United States? Are we learning a new survival skill for the end times? After some very quick, not-so-deep research in the halls of influencers' comment sections, I quickly learned people weren't talking about thread at all.
Threads. They were talking about Threads, a new social media app created by none other than Instagram, which is owned by Meta (or as we older folks call it, Facebook). Essentially, it's all owned by Mark Zuckerberg, and while some are side-eyeing what they say is a monopoly on social media platforms, others are excited about the current wholesomeness of it all.
Someone remarked that the app gave 2008 social media feels where everything was mostly kitten pictures and dying crops folks forgot to tend on Farmville.
People are hungry for a more unifying experience, basically, yearning for what social media was originally intended to be. And for the time being, Threads seems to be providing that space. It's also growing exponentially in the short time it's been in existence. Zuckerberg made a post on the app announcing that it had over 10 million subscribers in just seven hours. That seems like a record that surprisingly didn't crash any servers.
'Threads,' the new social media app everyone is talking about
Suzy Hazelwood|Canva, Mark Zuckerberg|Threads
The app is tied to your Instagram account, which makes it extremely easy to migrate to because you're not losing the folks you follow. They've figured out a way to essentially "port" your following to the new platform, which is amazing if you're an influencer or follow a lot of people. Now, it's still up to those people to follow you, but when you log on, everyone you were following is just magically there awaiting your finger to press "follow all."
As more people you follow on Instagram mosey on over to Threads, they just appear in your timeline because, surprise, you're already following them. Maybe this isn't as cool to other people, but for those that like things to transfer seamlessly, this is a game changer.
There has been a bit of hesitation from the over-35 crew. Learning a new app is intimidating and makes you want to give up no matter what the cool kids are doing. But that's also something that Threads seems to have kept in mind. Not only does it make it easy to curate your space with the people you've already connected with, but it also works in a strikingly similar way to Twitter. Except everyone seems to be on their best behavior and actively enjoying the new app smell.
'Threads,' the new social media app everyone is talking about
It's the little things that make millennials happy and an intuitive app that ports over your best buds so you don't have to learn anything new is right at the top of the list. This is also a reason that so many people are die-hard iPhone fans. If you bought your first iPhone in 2013, the model you bought in 2023 still works exactly the same and you've likely never typed in an old contact once.
Being sort of the millennial that started it all, Zuckerberg knew in order to win over his cohort, he'd have to make it easy. Now if only Threads were available in a desktop version, even more folks would likely make the leap.
But for now, the mobile version is enticing plenty of people, even though some still have some big feelings over anything branded Meta. For those looking for nostalgic wholesomeness in content, Threads is currently the place to be.