- Meta's Twitter competitor app, Threads, surpassed 100 million users on July 10.
- It's still unclear how the platform will be used or who's likely to gravitate toward it.
On July 6, Meta launched its new social-media app Threads — a text-based platform that functions a lot like Twitter. By July 10, Threads had already reached 100 million users, according to the head of Instagram Adam Mosseri.
Gen Z was referred to as the "first generation of true digital natives" in a 2018 report by McKinsey & Company. They have been exposed to the internet, social networks, and cell phone apps from a young age, so may seem like the most likely demographic to get excited about a new one.
But Gen Z's most used platform is YouTube, followed by Instagram and TikTok, according to a Morning Consult survey published in November 2022. Lagging behind Facebook and Snapchat, Twitter is sixth on the list of Gen Z's most-used platforms. This suggests that video is the most popular form of media consumption for many young people — so how will a text-based app fare with them?
To begin to find out, we asked three Gen Zers.
One 21-year-old is beyond excited about Threads
Clifford B. Arellano, 21, is a communications student from the Philippines and a content creator with over 19,000 followers on Instagram, where they go by the username @candii_bxh.
"When I first heard that Meta was launching this platform, I couldn't contain my excitement," they told Insider. "I immediately headed to the App Store and pre-registered so that it would automatically download once available. As my Instagram following grows, I'm eager to use Threads to connect with my followers, strengthen our bond, and even make new friends."
On July 6, they posted an Instagram reel showing themselves scrolling through their phone alongside the caption, "Me just spending almost 5 hours on Threads bec I just can't stop posting and reading threads."
Arellano told Insider they think Threads has the potential to become the next "go-to social media platform for venting and sharing among Gen Z."
"On its first day, my feed was flooded with hilarious and relatable memes," they said.
A teen user finds Threads very appealing
18-year-old Emily Kissa, a content creator with over 23,000 followers on Instagram, downloaded Threads for fun just to see what it was like. She told Insider that Threads feels "much more appealing than other platforms" because it is very new and she thinks it has a much younger audience.
She said, "I downloaded it for fun just to see what it was like. I personally don't see much of a difference from different platforms other than the fact that it's a much younger generation using it."
Given that there is currently very little data available regarding the demographics of Threads users, it is difficult to tell whether Kissa's right in a broad sense. There is a chance that perspectives could be skewed, as the site is set up to encourage people to follow the same people they follow on Instagram.
Still, Kissa plans to stick with the app. She said that she will likely just use it for "posting random thoughts."
One older Gen Zer is more cautious about the platform
Nicole Delabrer is 26, on the cusp of Gen Z and millennial, a group sometimes known as "zillennials."
Delabrer lives in Minneapolis where she works as a social strategist. She said that she has downloaded Threads, but thinks it's probably still too early to tell how she will use the platform.
On July 7, Delabrer posted a TikTok video joking about how she was going to work to fulfill her "duties" as a "token Gen Zer" to explain what Threads is.
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Delabrer told Insider she's broadly hopeful about the future of Threads as a space where she can create content
"I love going on Twitter and laughing," she said. "I'm hoping that Threads can get to a place where the feed is more curated and the quality of content is as high as Twitter."
Only time will tell.