The problem with Threads is that it didn’t introduce anything new. It’s just another platform that dilutes the existing social media user base without adding any value.

Once the novelty of NEW wears off, people leave.

Threads combined the concepts of TikTok with Twitter, but did not think through why it may not be a great idea. TikTok is for mindless consumption and Twitter was for learning and discussing ideas. Combined with a userbase made up entirely of visual users (instagram), it perfectly predicts low reply engagement.

People are scrolling their feeds to see images and videos but the platform doesn’t do as good of a job as Instagram or TikTok on that front. And on the opposite spectrum, if you are looking for conversations they simply won’t be there. So you’ve got two sides to this thing and neither is performing as good as competitors. Combine all of that with the natural drop off rates for any new product (old habits die hard) and you lose more than 50% of your users.

Maybe I’m wrong, but I think making Threads Insta-signup-only on launch may have been a giant mistake on Meta’s part.