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When we woke up this morning, we didn’t expect for there to be a hot new social media platform in town. But everyone’s been buzzing about it, so we just had to hop on the train and see for ourselves what the hype is all about!
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, just dropped Threads, and it's all about text-based convos. CBS News called it the “Twitter Killer”, because it’s quite obvious that they're trying to give the bird app a run for its money. Rumor has it that Threads has been in the works since January, but it's hitting the social scene just when Elon Musk decided to put a limit on the number of tweets you can read per day on Twitter. Talk about perfect timing!
So, what is Threads all about?
Threads is a new platform where users can publish short posts or updates of up to 500 characters. We like to think of it as the sweet spot between Instagram and Twitter. You can throw in links, photos, or even videos that go up to five minutes long. The app is also tightly connected to your Instagram account, which means you can easily share your Threads post to your Story or drop the post as a link on any other platform you’d like.
Your feed on Threads includes posts from the people and accounts you follow on Instagram or Threads itself. Plus, it’ll show you recommendations of cool content you might have missed. And if you want to filter out certain words from your feed or control who can mention you, you can absolutely do so.
The best part is that the app is free! No need to pay for a premium subscription or tier. You can download it straight from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
How do I make a Threads account?
First things first, you need to have an Instagram account to jump into Threads. So, use your Insta login credentials to sign in. Once you're in, your Instagram username will transfer over, but don't worry—you can still customize your profile.
The cool thing is that Threads will give you the option to follow all the same accounts you already follow on Instagram. No need to start from scratch!
When you create a post, or a "Thread," you get to choose who sees it, whether it's the entire world or just your followers.
One of the cool features we like about Threads is the “Take a Break” option, where you can get a reminder to, well, take a break from the app every 10, 20, or 30 minutes, so that you’re not mindlessly and endlessly scrolling through it. Honestly, we’d love to see a similar feature in other apps, as well.
Threads offers features that are familiar to Twitter and Instagram users, including the ability to unfollow, report, block, or restrict profiles. These options can be accessed through the three dots drop-down menu, and profiles blocked on Instagram will automatically be blocked on Threads. Additional features include screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions. Fancy, huh?
Meta’s Threads vs. Twitter
The competition between Meta and Twitter extends beyond the much-talked-about clash between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. With Threads seamlessly connected to Instagram, it has the potential to attract users rapidly. Musk's changes to Twitter's posting limits, such as capping verified users at 10,000 posts per day, unverified users at 1,000, and new unverified users at 500, might lead to the loss of subscribers and advertisers.
But hey, Threads isn't without its critics. Some folks, like Forrester analyst Mike Proulx, think Meta is just taking advantage of people's frustration with Twitter. They also point out that Meta has had some flops in the past with apps like Slingshot and IGTV. And let's not forget, there are already plenty of Twitter alternatives out there, like Bluesky, Mastodon, and Hive. So, the user base seeking alternatives could end up being split across all these platforms.
Anyhoo, whether you decide to try out Threads or stick to your existing rotation of social media apps to monitor is completely up to you. And if you do, be sure to follow us there over at @parlonph for all the latest updates on beauty and wellness deals in the Philippines! See ‘ya there!
Speaking of following us, we’re currently on a race to 3,000 followers on TikTok! Help us with our goal at @parlonph and we’ll reveal super exciting treats coming your way once we reach that milestone.
Discover, book, and buy more incredible beauty and wellness deals from Parlon. Keep in touch with us, too, on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or TikTok.
