Thread Analysis: An Initial Assessment

Hi, everyone. Madison is away this week, so I’ve taken control.

I bring you a breaking news report from Threads, the new Twitter clone introduced by Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday. According to Zuckerberg, it has already garnered 30 million users and seems to be the fastest downloaded app ever.

If you haven’t tried it yet, here’s a quick summary of what you’ve been missing: Olivia Rodrigo promoting her new single, Al Roker sharing about his ear wax, brands like Slim Jim and Wendy’s attempting to be funny, and YouTube star MrBeast becoming the first user to reach a million followers.

“Can’t get enough of your threads,” said actress Jennifer Lopez in a Threads post. Paris Hilton asked followers to suggest a name for her new puppy. “Welcome to Gay Twitter!” exclaimed Ellen DeGeneres, followed by some mixed responses.

Despite causing much drama, with Twitter threatening legal action, the user experience on Threads feels basic and predictable. Currently, the app’s 500-character messages mainly revolve around self-promotion and Elon Musk memes. The dominant topic of conversation seems to be about how strange it feels to be on Threads, with many users equating it to the first day of school.

Lately, there have been an unusually high number of “first days of school.” Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter last year and threw the platform into chaos, several supposed replacements have gained attention, only to fade away. Remember Mastodon? How about Bluesky?

Will Threads be different? Time will tell. As my colleague Mike Isaac reported, Threads benefits from Meta’s vast resources and Instagram’s massive user base. Imitating competitors is Zuckerberg’s trademark, as Meta has previously introduced features resembling those of Snapchat and TikTok.

What we’ve learned from Mastodon and Bluesky is that users won’t switch to a Twitter alternative unless it’s as user-friendly and addictive as Twitter once was. Threads meets the former requirement; the latter is yet to be seen.

Getting started on Threads is easy. There’s no need for invitations or to learn a completely new interface. The app closely resembles Twitter, with Instagram’s fonts.

A few things may feel unfamiliar. You need an Instagram account to begin using Threads. Currently, there are no ads, and the app doesn’t support direct messaging, which is an integral part of Twitter.

The main attraction of Threads is its ready-made social network, allowing you to automatically follow everyone you follow on Instagram. This built-in audience is advantageous for celebrities and brands, and Instagram’s verified blue checks carry over to Threads.

Importing followers has its drawbacks, as not every Instagram account you follow may be suitable for a text-focused platform like Threads. In her brief time on the app, Robyn Caplan, an assistant professor of technology at Duke University, noticed that her feed was dominated by irrelevant blue-checked accounts (her first post was by the Backstreet Boys).

There’s still plenty of time for the platform to evolve and gain popularity, but also a chance for it to fade away. Early adopters of Threads seem to be aware of this uncertainty.

“I’m either early to the party or no one else is coming,” wrote actress Maitreyi Ramakrishnan on the app. “Either way, Threads.” Share your thoughts on Threads at [email protected].

Internet Candy

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