The controversy surrounding the famous social media platform Twitter is not new. It had been in the news since the second half of the 2010s, when CEO Jack Dorsey was on board. It became the new normal after Elon Musk took charge as its CEO and started his let it sink in reforms. As per the latest update, the entire Twitter office is in chaos due to the unexpected rollout of Instagram’s Threads App. The question of who will win in the Twitter vs Threads cagematch has been surfacing for the last 24 hours.
The question of who will win the social media microblogging race was already there. The app is the latest in a line of competitors, including Bluesky and Donald Trump’s Truth Social, that have aimed to provide an alternative digital space for conversation besides Twitter. Anyway, the virtual cage match has already started. Let’s see what happens next.
Threads comes less than a year after Elon Musk took over Twitter and introduced some controversial changes to the app. The app is a direct Twitter rival that aims to overthrow Twitter’s supremacy in their virtual space. Why is there a need for a Twitter lookalike and this Twitter vs Threads competition? We can learn from the changes Musk has implemented in Twitter features since he acquired the platform last year.
- Reinstated accounts banned from the platform for spreading misinformation and spam. It includes that of former US President Donald Trump Jr.
- Decided to offer blue ticks for just $8 and $11, completely ending the celebrity culture on Twitter. Now anyone who can afford a monthly subscription can become a Twitter celebrity.
- Limited readable tweets, and that too discriminated between verified (6000 tweets per day) and non-verified accounts (600 tweets per day).
- Twitter 2.0 started tracking the number of likes, retweets, and quotes by showing how many views the tweets were receiving. It is considered a surveillance measure that Twitter started tracking people’s activities rather than protecting free speech and freedom.
- In April 2023, the blue bird logo that was the key symbol of Twitter was replaced overnight with a Shiba Inu, the dog logo. The bird, however, was reinstated a couple of days later.
- Musk claims that there were ‘just under 8,000’ staff members when he bought the company. Now, Twitter is left with around 1,500 employees. He fired almost 80% of its employees.
Twitter vs Threads
But. Can the Threads App replace Twitter, the platform that revolutionised the way people look at social media? It is too early to make a verdict. But let us examine the current prospects.
Who should use Twitter
- The hallmark characteristic of Twitter is the 280-character limit, which encourages concise and swift messaging.
- The platform excels in real-time engagement, news updates, and public discussions. So it is ideal for joining global conversations and staying updated.
- The social media giant offers a wide range of features. Users can engage in conversations, reply, like, and retweet interesting posts.
- Hashtags and @mentions have facilitated topic discovery and interaction, making it a powerful platform for staying informed.
- @mentions for interaction. It offers additional features such as live tweeting during events, Twitter Spaces for audio conversations, and Fleets for ephemeral stories, enhancing its appeal.
Who should use Threads
- For a more intimate messaging experience, you can use the Threads app. Threads caters to private messaging and sharing personal moments with a select group. It allows users to share personal moments exclusively with close friends. The feature is not available on Twitter so far.
- Additionally, your Threads feed will be algorithmic, which means it will be populated by a mix of people you follow and recommended content.
- Meta claims Threads app to have enhanced privacy and ensure a seamless messaging experience. It thereby fosters a stronger sense of closeness among users.
- Instagram Threads caters to private messaging and sharing personal moments with a select group. Its streamlined interface focuses on updates from close friends and efficient messaging.
- Instagram Threads introduces Auto Status, which updates users’ status based on their location and activities. This seamless integration allows the real-time sharing of experiences. Threads eliminates public posts and distractions, prioritising authentic interactions and meaningful connections.
Final Verdict
Twitter’s brevity can limit in-depth conversations, and the fast-paced nature of the platform may cause important tweets to be missed. Instagram Threads’ focus on close friends may restrict user reach. Additionally, the need to switch between the main Instagram and Threads apps might pose some inconvenience for users.
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Elon Musk is considered the smartest of the CEOs. But what Elon has to do is prevent soil from slipping under his toes while looking at Mars. As we know, Elon Musk is a person who loves controversies. Controversies started to love him back. Now he is in a catch-22 situation to get his platform secured in the middle of the Twitter vs Threads race.
As the Threads app looks exactly like Twitter with all its features, Twitter has filed a Trademark Infringement lawsuit against Threads to get the Threads App closed. Twitter claims that Meta hired Twitter’s former employees and made the Threads App. Meanwhile, digital marketers are so thrilled because they get a new backlink website and a platform to advertise their products and services.
We believe this dominance race for cyberspace will not slow down, at least not in this century. But one thing is sure: the court will acknowledge Twitter’s genuine demand and ask Meta to change some of the Threads App’s features, like its visual appeal. Let us wait and see whether this Twitter vs Threads race will end up in a real cage match.