Why Meta’s app ‘Threads’ feels like an online version of North Korea

On Wednesday evening, Meta launched Threads, its highly anticipated competitor to Twitter.

A few years ago, Instagram had implemented a feature known as "Threads for Instagram," Threads served as a direct competitor to Snapchat, exclusively focusing on Instagram stories and chat features. It provided users with the essential functionalities of direct messaging and stories. However, it was discontinued a few years ago.

Following the ownership of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, Threads is the latest app under the control of Mark Zuckerberg.

Mark Zuckerberg is placing a significant bet on his company Meta, as he aims to construct a simulated world where he possesses complete control over all aspects and the content provided to users.

In my opinion, Threads is not currently a satisfactory platform. It offers a disorganized and solely algorithm-driven social media experience that has failed to provide engaging and stimulating content since I signed up.

Unlike Twitter, Threads does not incorporate hashtags, a prominent aspect of Twitter’s identity that has been adopted by other social platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Consequently, users cannot search for specific content on Threads, resulting in the absence of a “trending section” on the platform. Instead, content discovery on Threads relies solely on Meta’s algorithm, leaving users with minimal control over the content they see.

As a result, users are exposed to content that may not align with their interests, with limited ability to curate their own experience.

Make a joke and you get flagged

Despite Meta’s advertisement promoting the expression of diverse viewpoints, users have encountered issues with being flagged for violating Instagram’s antiquated community guidelines. Even innocuous self-deprecating remarks, such as calling oneself “stupid,” can result in being flagged for bullying. These stringent guidelines create an environment where it is nearly impossible to make harmless jokes or engage in lighthearted banter.

Threads appears to be positioning itself as a sanitized alternative to Twitter, emphasizing more mundane features while suppressing the vibrant posting culture that defined Twitter’s uniqueness. Users who contribute to the enjoyable and community-driven atmosphere on Twitter find themselves flagged and leave.

The content allowed on Threads tends to be dull, serious, and predominantly focused on local matters. Currently, users cannot delete their Threads account without also deleting their Instagram account, further limiting their options. With such stringent content restrictions, Threads may struggle to attract the users who contribute to the engaging experience that keeps people invested in Twitter, especially considering the inability to freely express oneself.

The key distinction between the two platforms lies in their timelines. Meta's app exclusively features an algorithmic timeline, similar to Facebook and Instagram, without providing a Twitter-style reverse chronological view to showcase the most recent posts. Moreover, the algorithm-driven timeline in Threads displays posts from accounts that the user does not follow, a feature that Twitter limits to its alternative "For You" timeline. Currently, Threads is solely available as a mobile experience, allowing users to post, comment, and follow others exclusively through the platform's mobile app. In contrast, Twitter permits these actions both on its website and mobile app.

The extent to which these variances are ingrained in the platform's design remains uncertain, but a statement from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg implied a willingness to consider adjustments based on user feedback. In response to a post on Threads indicating that "the big bosses are on here actively listening to feedback," the billionaire CEO expressed his support with a thumbs-up emoji.

Meta’s app ‘Threads’ feels like an online version of North Korea.

Threads presents a contrived online environment where apparent harmony prevails, as users are prohibited from expressing themselves freely.