Threads

TWITTER'S NEW RIVAL RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA HABITS

Meta has officially launched a new text-based app called Threads. Available exclusively to Instagram users, the app promises to be "a more intimate and personal way to connect with friends and family, and it's already topped 100 million users in a blow to Elon Musk's Twitter.

INTRODUCING THREADS

We've known for a while that Twitter was to receive a new rival: Meta has been working on an alternative for more than six months, following backlash from Elon Musk's decision to acquire Twitter and make a number of unpopular changes. Threads is similar to Twitter in many ways. Posts are limited to 500 characters, and users can like, reply to, and quote other posts. However, Threads has some unique features that set it apart from Twitter. For example, Threads allows users to create "Close Friends" lists, which are private groups of people who can see their posts. Threads also include a number of features that are designed to make it easier to share photos and videos, and what's perhaps most interesting is that it's linked to your Instagram account, meaning you can quickly import your followers.

Zuckerberg has said that he wants Threads to be a place where people can "be themselves" and "connect with the people who matter most to them." He has also said that he wants the app to be a "positive" space, free from the toxicity that has become associated with Twitter.