LSA Opinion: Will the Threads app last?

It took the Threads app less than two hours to reach one million users last Thursday. By comparison, it took Netflix 3.5 years, Twitter two years, and Facebook 10 months. The numbers are surely impressive, but the momentum has slowed. As we reach the one-week mark since its launch, the team sits at the table to discuss: Will the Threads app survive? 

Call it Meta’s answer to Twitter, a manifestation of Mark’s personal vendetta against Elon, or a further step in Instagram’s efforts for world domination, but there’s no denying that the Threads app has caused quite the stir in recent days. Social media-savvy millennials, celebrities, and even major corporations took to Threads to test out the new platform, familiarising themselves with the look and feel of the app, or in our case, using it for market research. 

This week, we’re gathered around the coffee table to dissect it all a little. One million Threads users in 1.5 hours: Was it all a fluke? Who actually downloaded the app? And will it survive?

[Featured Image Credit: Mohamed Nohassi/Unsplash; Hero Image Credit: Bastian Riccardi/Unsplash]

In a world where we’re constantly frowning at our average screen time (thanks for the weekly notif, Apple) and throwing away hard-earned Baht for social media detoxes, why are now over 100 million of us so keen to tuck yet another social media platform under our belts? Surely, the idea of another place to doom-scroll isn’t all there is to it. 

The appeal of Threads is an interesting one, and it comes at a particularly interesting time. Where some team members are eager Thread-ers (@everyone: is this the word we’re using?), others have not downloaded the app at all, and don’t really plan to. 

Everything is still very fresh, and the arrival of Threads has something reminiscent of the first day of school. Will this be our year? Here’s what the team at Lifestyle Asia Thailand thinks. 

LSA Opinion: Will the Threads app survive?

I joined Threads last Friday, 24 hours after it launched, and I already felt like I was way behind. Over 100 of my friends were already on the app, and so many of them were blossoming on Threads with something smart and/or snarky to say. It was very exciting, but I find the hype is slowly dying down. If, like me, you joined out of FOMO, you may have experienced this too. Lately, I find myself going on Twitter more, but I’m keeping an eye on Threads because I believe there is hope. My greatest concern is that my Gen-Z sister hasn’t joined yet, and since she’s my Compass of Cool, I’ll only give it the thumbs up when she gives in. After all, in the social media space, they’re the ones to watch.
–Lisa Gries, Creative Content Director

Hard to tell. Right now, it looks like a very community-based Twitter with a clean UI. It’s refreshing and feels good to use. But, it uses the same AI as Instagram and Facebook, so you can’t put anything 18+ there, while on Twitter, you can. That’s how you know Twitter will still last for a while, but it’s unsure for Threads.
–Kook Vichayuth, Content Writer

I feel like Threads is going to last, because it will serve as a channel for Instagram chicks to post cute-but-not-cute-enough-for-Instagram pictures of themselves, as well as to shout out their romantic relationships to the world. For example, the pictures where they look decent enough but the composition is a bit off, or when their babes come pick them up in a nice car, or basically a bunch of selfies during golden hour with flawless-looking skin.
–Paint Chayanin, Content Writer

I don’t currently use any social media so I haven’t been on Instagram or Threads or other platforms. It’s really triggered my FOMO, and it’s starting to feel more important than ever to be on all the social medias. I think Threads will be popular, as everyone else is sure to experience FOMO, but it won’t last because the surge of social media platform fans will be diverted elsewhere in the end. Short attention spans and all that.
–Praewprach Lerthirunvibul, Intern

Will Threads last? It’s just a flop. Even though it offers everything much like Twitter, it is not giving the same vibe still. People don’t feel as much freedom to be crazily opinionated — mainly because it forces its users to link the account with their Instagram account. Yes, Elon Musk is messing Twitter up, but I don’t think he would go further, given the hate he has been receiving lately. Though Threads is rising up like Clubhouse, so long as it doesn’t have any USP (that would outdo Twitter), it’ll just disappear with time.
–Ice Nopparat, Intern

I haven’t downloaded Threads, but I think many factors will contribute to whether the app lasts or not. One in particular, is whether Twitter wins the case in which they threaten to take legal action. Another major factor will be the number of users willing to transition from Twitter to Threads. If those using Twitter switch to Threads, Twitter’s traffic will slow down. Plus, what makes Threads popular is the easy registration. Since it is under the same branch as Instagram, users can sign up with their current Instagram account, and that’s it. Who really knows? I hope it lasts because Twitter wouldn’t let me log back in since 2016, and I’ll probably download Threads because of FOMO.”
–Pimmi Chandarasrivongs, Content Writer

“I don’t really know. Everything moves so fast these days. But at least Elon is annoyed.”
–Eric Surbano, Senior Writer