Twitter vs. Threads
What You Need to Know About the Latest Social Media Player
In early July, Meta released Threads, a text-based conversation app that has been called the “Twitter killer.” While it holds many similarities with its Elon Musk-run counterpart, many users are commending its differences. The Twitter vs. Threads debate will likely carry on for the next few months or even years and may involve some hefty litigation. Before the courts decide the fate of these two social media giants, we want to debunk some of their most common myths.
Why Were People Frustrated with Twitter?
Since Elon Musk took the helm of Twitter, the platform has been steadily losing members. Prior to the launch of Thread, Musk had made several changes to the once-popular social media platform that had left many users frustrated.
According to GW Today, it was the introduction of “rate limits” that required users to pay $8 per month or be limited in the number of tweets they could scroll through that may have prompted Threads' quick emergence on the scene. Within days of the rate limit introduction, Threads was launched.
What Is Threads?
Threads is a text-based conversation app that is structurally similar to Twitter. Thread's parent company Meta also owns Facebook and Instagram, run by Mark Zuckerberg. Within days of launching, the newest social media platform amassed over 100 million users.
It is believed that the huge number of users can be attributed to several factors, including people’s frustrations with the changes at Twitter, Threads’ connection to Instagram, and the ease with which they can sign-up.
What Are Some Benefits of Threads?
Threads has some unique benefits that users enjoy. For instance, the platform allows people to have longer posts (500 characters compared to Twitter’s 280). It also provides for longer videos and verification of an account via Instagram.
What Are Some Shortcomings of Threads?
The earlier-than-expected launch of Threads may be the reason that the platform is lacking certain features. Twitter users will notice that Threads does not allow for direct messaging, trending stories, or hashtags.
Will This Mean the End of Twitter?
It is unclear what the future will bring for Musk’s Twitter. The eccentric billionaire has alleged that Threads is a result of “stolen trade secrets.” On July 6, he famously tweeted that “Competition is fine, cheating is not.”
The allegations stem from the fact that several former Twitter employees went to work for Meta. He believes that these employees may have illegally obtained information and used it to help launch the platform. It is believed that the future will bring substantial litigation on the issue.
While the emergence of Threads sharpened the decline in Twitter users, the hemorrhage started long before. Users, tired of the app breaking and the prevalence of misinformation, were already looking to Twitter alternatives. With Threads being so new to the playing field, it is not set in stone whether it will completely consume the Twitter-sphere. It is still lacking several features that users undoubtedly hope to see implemented, but it definitely has the potential for an interesting takeover.
