[Youth Report] Can Threads Become an MZ Playground?

Threads Surpasses 100 Million Subscribers in Just Five Days
Musk vs Zuckerberg Tension... Also Boosts Popularity

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Recently, Meta's new social networking service (SNS) 'Threads' has been creating a sensation. Known as the 'Twitter rival,' Threads surpassed 100 million users just five days after its launch, and it has also received great response domestically, with over one million people installing the app. However, some argue that since many SNS platforms have experienced only short-lived popularity, it remains to be seen whether Threads can have long-term success.

'Twitter Rival' Threads... Is Elon Musk the Key to Its Success?

Threads is a text-based platform focused on short posts within 500 characters. Compared to Twitter's limit of 280 characters in English and 140 in Korean, Threads allows relatively longer posts. Additionally, video uploads can be up to 5 minutes long, longer than Twitter's 2 minutes and 20 seconds. Although similar to Twitter, Threads has been attracting attention as a 'Twitter rival' even before its launch.

Before Threads was launched, the rivalry between Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, and Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, influenced Threads' popularity. Earlier, on the 21st of last month, Musk tweeted sarcastically in response to a Twitter user's question, "Will Threads become Twitter's rival?" saying, "I'm scared to death." Upon hearing this, Zuckerberg engaged in a war of words with Musk, and the two even promised a real martial arts match.

The rivalry with Twitter worked as a boon for Threads. Netizens were enthusiastic about the fight, creating countless memes (photos or videos trending on the internet), which naturally increased interest in Threads. Also, many existing Twitter users who harbored resentment toward Musk and Twitter switched over to Threads.

The simple sign-up process also contributed to its success. Threads is directly linked with Instagram. Users with Instagram accounts can join Threads immediately without a separate registration process.

Some Say "Feeling Fatigued by SNS Use"

As the Threads craze continues, the number of app installs in Korea exceeded one million as of the 11th. Kim Eun-seong (27), an office worker who recently created a Threads account, said, "Many people around me are joining Threads, so I joined too. I am not actively using it yet, but I joined because I don't want to fall behind the trend."

This is also related to the 'FOMO' psychology. 'FOMO' stands for 'Fear Of Missing Out,' meaning the fear of being left behind compared to others. It mainly appears among the trend-sensitive younger generation and can lead to SNS addiction, so caution is needed.

Given this situation, some young people are feeling fatigued from excessive SNS use. Many feel a sense of rejection toward the showy content on SNS.

Choi Ji-yoon (28), an office worker at a marketing company, said, "I'm curious about what kind of app Threads is, but I don't think I will join. I already spend a lot of time watching Instagram and YouTube, and if I add Threads, I think I will become addicted to SNS." She added, "Sometimes, when I see acquaintances living well on SNS, I feel inferior and want to stop, but I can't quit because I'm afraid of missing out on information."

Threads' Daily Active Users Drop by 20%... Success Still Uncertain

[Image source=Pixabay]

Therefore, there is a view that the success of Threads cannot yet be guaranteed. It is pointed out that, like the voice-based SNS 'Clubhouse,' which briefly gained popularity in Korea in 2021, its popularity may not last long. Clubhouse once had over 10 million global users but saw a decline in users and eventually laid off more than 50% of its staff last April.

In fact, Threads' upward momentum seems to be slowing down. According to the global mobile data analysis platform Sensor Tower, daily active users of Threads on the 11th and 12th decreased by about 20% compared to the 8th. During this period, the average time users spent on the app dropped from 20 minutes to 10 minutes, a 50% decrease.

David Carr, Senior Insight Manager at traffic analysis site SimilarWeb, said, "(Users) were initially very interested in checking the Threads app, but not all users visit Threads as frequently as other SNS apps."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.