COMMUNITY

There’s nothing like the launch of a new social media platform.

With turmoil besetting text-based social media reigning champ Twitter — excuse me, make that X — competitors are hitting the market to capitalize on the discontent. Perhaps the highest-profile of these competitors is Threads.

Developed by Meta as the latest in their suite of social media apps, Threads enjoyed a big boost in its first week by piggybacking off Instagram’s established user base. For users with an Instagram account, connecting with follows and followers was as easy as the press of a button. And, of course, the beginning of any new platform finds enterprising posters eager to build their presence from the ground floor.

Translators, interpreters, and other language professionals were among the flood to post their first thread. The uses for the platform are as varied as the posters themselves — according to the posts we found, some saw the new app as primarily a social tool, others as a chance to promote their businesses or services, and others as a means to spread a little inspiration. And of course, there were memes — what social media platform would be complete without memes?

To that end, we scoured Threads on its first week for a snapshot of language-related use. While the results were diverse, most seemed to enjoy their time exploring the new app. But only time will tell whether Threads has the staying power to become the top text-based social media platform.

Are you on Threads? If so, how are you enjoying your experience? Let us know on one of MultiLingual’s many social media accounts