Threads‘ launch day appears to have been a massive success, with reports of over 5 million registered users on Meta’s newest social media platform. While this sounds very promising, especially considering the current state of Twitter, some users expressed concern about Threads’ longevity, to the point where it brought back memories of another social media platform that met its end due to low user engagement.
Google Plus, a social media platform that Google launched 12 years ago, recently trended on Twitter during the launch of Threads. While some celebrated the arrival of an alternative to Twitter, others argued that Meta’s newest social media platform could suffer the same fate once the novelty wears off.
However, Threads’ supporters argued that Twitter would become the next Google Plus as users flocked to this shiny new platform. If that’s the case, Meta still has a lot of work to do in order to make the app competitive, as it currently lacks features like hashtags and a trending tab.
According to a 2016 Vanity Fair article, Google Plus was seen as a threat to Facebook to the point where the social media company was in lockdown. However, Google Plus eventually went under due to low user engagement. Additionally, Google somewhat forced people into using the platform rather than inviting them. Eventually, the app met its end in 2019.
It’s entirely possible that history could repeat itself with Threads. However, unlike the launch of Google Plus, Instagram users have not been forced onto its shiny new spinoff platform. Its launch is also timely, with many genuinely seeking an alternative to Twitter due to the increasing amount of unpopular changes it’s making.
Will Threads lose all its strings? Or will Meta shoot down that blue bird for good? Only time will tell which app will follow the same path as Google Plus. Or maybe both will find a way to co-exist in the social media space. Who knows? There is nothing wrong with a little competition.