Meta introduces Threads while Musk’s Twitter unravels

Twitter has a new competitor, Threads, and the new social media platform is challenging Elon Musk’s social media platform, with many users switching to Meta’s new app.

Threads is similar to Twitter, with a few added benefits. Posts are limited to 500 characters, which is more than twice Twitter’s 240 characters a post. Users can repost, follow other users and like posts. Hashtags are not common on Thread but the app does let users post up to 10 photos and videos that are 5 minutes or shorter.

What Thread does not have is Musk.

Musk downgraded the value of blue “verified” check marks, instead offering the checkmarks to anyone willing to pay $8 per month. This was an important tool for journalists, who could largely rely on blue check marks to correctly identify individuals and what they have said or written. 

“Threads is a great new resource for people to get information,” said Rob Collins, executive director of the Oklahoma Media Center.

Collins said that people should stop using Twitter as their only source of information. Now that Threads is out and gaining popularity fast, Collins said it could represent a major change in the way people use social media.

Some reporters have started to jump ship to Threads after the changes on Twitter made information gathering more challenging.

KOCO reporter Alyse Jones said she is a little hesitant about moving to Threads.

“I already manage a Facebook, Instagram and Twitter account,” Jones said. “I don’t know if I can handle another one that is similar to Twitter.” Other reporters at KOCO have already taken notice of Threads and have started posting news through the new app. 

Over 100 million people are already active on Threads and based on trendlines for both Threads and Twitter,, it will likely continue to attract new users.

“It’ll be interesting to see where Threads goes and how it’ll push Twitter to make changes so the app doesn’t lose their users to Threads,” Collins said.