Threads Is Making Waves: Mark Zuckerberg Vs. Elon Musk
Instagram social media Threads TwitterChristina John
Image via Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA, Shutterstock
Before we begin, we have some important rumour debunking to do. You don’t need to delete Instagram to say goodbye to Threads! There’s been some talk on TikTok claiming that if you want to ditch your Threads account, you have to wave farewell to your Instagram too. Well, that’s not entirely true. Here’s the scoop: if you want a break from Threads, you can simply deactivate your account. That means your posts won’t be visible, and nobody can find you on the app. But here’s the good news your Instagram stays safe and sound. You can keep enjoying your Insta life without any worries. Now, if you want to erase Threads from your existence completely, deleting Instagram becomes necessary.
Hold onto your hats, folks, because things are heating up in the world of social media. It seems like the rivalry between Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk has escalated to cage fight levels, with diss tweets flying left and right. But what’s the cause of this digital battle royale? Well, it might just have something to do with Zuckerberg’s surprise launch of the microblogging platform, Threads, a day earlier than expected.
Image via Dado Ruvic/Reuters
Social media managers expecting a quiet summer holiday were surprised when Threads debuted a day ahead of schedule, resulting in the fastest sign-up rate in history. People on social media are also joking now about how a ton of social media manager positions will require a 5-year experience on your resume, even though the app was launched very recently.
Let’s address the elephant in the virtual room – Threads bears a striking resemblance to Twitter. And that might be the very reason why Musk’s feathers are ruffled. Rumour has it that Zuckerberg took a page out of Twitter’s book and created its hip update. Threads boasts similar features like posts (with text or images), stitching/quoting, and reposting. You’ve got a 500-character limit for each post, and videos can run up to five minutes. It’s like Twitter’s cool younger sibling, ready to take on the world.
In less than a week, over 100 million users have jumped on the Threads bandwagon. And you know what adds to the allure? It’s the fact that Threads taps into our obsession with followers, likes, and all that jazz. When you start your Threads account, everyone who follows you on Instagram automatically becomes your follower on Threads, so you never have zero followers.
Timing is everything, they say, and Meta couldn’t have picked a better moment to launch Threads. Twitter users have been growing weary of their erratic CEO, Elon Musk and his policy changes. The platform’s moderation woes, including violent content and relentless trolling, have left users wanting more.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Will Threads be the next big thing or just another blip on the social media radar? We’ve seen apps like BeReal and Clubhouse quickly fade into the digital abyss. And don’t get us started on the spam accounts that have already infiltrated Threads. Sketchy posts and comments are leaving a trail of confusion, and the algorithm could use some sprucing up, too, with users yearning for finely-tuned suggested posts and accounts in their feeds.
Image via Facebook
Here’s a quick reality check, Threads is accessible in 100 countries, except for the European Union, due to some pesky regulatory uncertainty. And remember that promise Meta made? The one about compatibility with an open social networking protocol? Well, it’s still up in the air. So, let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope they deliver.
Despite these uncertainties, Meta’s involvement gives Threads a glimmer of hope. It’s a platform where you can share stories and images without the pressure of maintaining that perfectly curated Instagram aesthetic.
Although we believe the Threads vs Twitter showdown is just getting started, we’ll have to wait and see if Threads can truly shake up the scene and become the next big thing. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the banter, the memes, and the highly anticipated fight.