Threads—A New Era of Social Media Connectivity

Mr. Zuckerberg’s attempt to save his dying Facebook empire?

Hmmmm.

I’m not sure if social media platforms evolve or just shift focus to offer us more dopamine-sucking opportunities to scroll—but, they seem to be here to stay. And though some of the connectivity claims Threads makes confound me (I mean, sure. If by connectivity you mean toggling between their parent company, Instagram, and this new platform), I am slightly excited about this one. Truth be told, my excitement lies more in the pink bubble gum planets orbiting on the homepage.

With all the mess over at Twitter (and depending on your perspective, that ‘mess’ is either welcomed chaos or you’ve exited Stage Right), maybe THREADS can offer users new ways to connect, share, and engage.

Threads claims to be a platform designed to facilitate more intimate connections while fostering meaningful conversations by streamlining communication experiences with close friends to share updates and stay connected throughout the day. In this blog post, we explore the key features and benefits of Instagram’s Threads and discuss how it reshapes how we interact on social media.

One of the standout features is its emphasis on privacy and control. Threads allows users to create a dedicated space for their closest friends, ensuring that only those selected individuals can view and engage with their content. This feature offers a sense of exclusivity and intimacy, enabling users to share personal moments and updates in a more secure environment.

Threads takes inspiration from Snapchat's concept of "Stories" by introducing a similar feature called "Status Updates." Users can share their current status with their selected close friends, whether it be their location, activity, or even their mood. This real-time sharing fosters a sense of connectedness and allows friends to stay updated on each other's lives effortlessly.

Threads also offers automatic sharing options that allow users to share their everyday experiences seamlessly. This seems a bit redundant to the ‘Status Updates’ feature, and, to be frank, I’m confused as to why anyone would share their battery status (seriously one of the “relevant” features they call out).

Threads utilizes a "Quick Replies" functionality—a selection of pre-set responses that allows users to respond swiftly with a single tap.

Firstly, this is not a new feature. Most platforms, and likely all smartphone MMS and text features, have had this convenience for years. This feature is supposed to save time and encourage frequent communication without sacrificing the personal touch. [INSERT HEAD-SCRATCHING EMOJI]

Aren’t canned responses the very definition of non-personal touch? Then again, I’m the one who hits ‘custom’ on the iPhone’s pre-set responses when someone calls in and I cannot switch over from the call I’m on. I might as well hang up on the person I talking with since my ‘custom’ response requires I concentrate on pecking out something sensible and less flippant than “Sorry can’t talk right now.” Moreover, doesn’t my not answering the phone sufficiently indicate that I can’t talk right now? It’s alls slightly redundant and seemingly unnecessary.

Threads seamlessly integrates with its parent platform, Instagram, as a companion app, leveraging its user base and existing features. Users can switch between Instagram and Threads, ensuring a cohesive experience across both apps.

Hmmm. I’ve never considered ‘toggling’ to be a cohesive experience, but I’ll give it a chance.

I’m interested to hear about your thoughts on Instagram’s Threads. Hit me up in the comments with your thoughts about this new social platform of connectivity—oh, and its logo.