Instagram Threads: Another Meaningless Distraction?
This week the war of the short form content giants begun in earnest - Meta's 'Threads' versus Twitter, Zuckerberg vs Musk, disgruntled Twitter fans vs social media hopefuls. Drawn into the excitement of the first day, I threaded to experiment, along with everyone else, getting drawn into the promise of a new way of social-ing online, just as I did when Leo Threads was announced.
Of course, I had to put aside my shock at the fact it was called 'Threads'. How could they do this? Did they even know Leo Finance's Hive based Twitter equivalent, rewarded with second layer tokens on the Hive blockchain, existed? Could they even do that? I felt disgruntled and outraged. It didn't seem right. What also feels wierd is that no one is really talking about it. Are we really that unknown in the wider world? That small? I felt rather protective of our Threads, ever loyal to the Hive Blockchain.
Then I thought about my experience on Instagram Threads versus my experience on Leo Threads and I have to say I got bored quickly of both. A handful of short form posts on either platform got me very little response. Was I that boring? That incapable of writing witty reportoire or hilarious memes to get responses from - well, anyone?
Was I just being drawn into Threads on either platform because of FOMO?
Many IG Threaders were laughing at how their socials were now Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook (rare), Whatsapp, and now Threads. Digital addiction, anyone? Others wondered about the past - about Myspace and Vines, similiar concepts that got swallowed by what came next. Others, like me, felt cyncial. Whilst the app for now feels fresh and unencumbered by advertising and trolls, how could anyone think it wasn't going to happen? No way was Zucks going to create something like this and not find a way to monetise it. Whilst Musk has gained no fans for what he's done to Twitter, it seemed to me people were just choosing the other evil, thinking Zuckerberg was for sure creating something amazing with Threads that was somehow going to be different to all other social media before it.
Which brings us full circle to the hopium we've all felt with Web 3 and the great things being built on HIVE. There was certainly buckets - truckloads - of hopium on IG Threads in the first 24 hours.
What really struck me as I threaded was how beholden we are to the internet Gods. Rather than reject the newest way to suck us in and consume our time, we bow down and kiss it's golden feet, knowingly allowing our brains to sizzle on the hot plates of disinformation, propaganda, superficiality and advertising - both political and otherwise. We know about trolls and how it can influence our mental health, about the bubbles we get trapped in, the desire to be approved of, the way it consumes our time, the way it influences us individually and collectively. We know it's dangerous but we don't care. We'd sign up for anything.
I was talking to a young woman the other day who's a self professed Tik Tok die hard fan. Like many others, she spends hours on the app every day. She knows it's bad for her brain but she does it anyway. I feel like one of those old people saying 'why don't kids read books anymore, like I did when I was a kid?'. It's all entertainment, as we are too scared to be alone, too scared to face inward in silence, too preoccupied with what others are doing to create a meaningful life of our own. I imagine what that young woman could achive if her days weren't scrolling Tik Tok with its endless inanity.
I am aware of the irony, of course. Here I am on HIVE blogging every day, as if it is important. As if it means something. I certainly find it more fulfilling than short 'tweets' or 'threads' on any platform. I'm a longform girl. We all have our different interests - I know many Threaders would never get through this wordy and likely verbose article.
One day I will cut the threads entirely and refuse to even look.
For now I'm not sure Threading - on either Leo Finance or Instagram - is my thing.
Maybe I'll even cut the ropes that bind me to this online world. Now wouldn't that be something?
With Love,
Are you on HIVE yet? Earn for writing! Referral link for FREE account here
Images by me and Midjourney.
I'd rather use a decentralized option as leo threads or lens protocol where the algorithm does not throw a bunch of non-solicited publicity posts out analyzing your preferences and who you follow.
Yeah the algo is awful. Currently Threads doesn't have one but it's coming I'm sure.
Thankfully, I never got into twitter and tik tok. Youtube is my thing, although I'm on my phone while watching it. 😁
My hubs loves YouTube. He watches it a lot!
He's got good taste!
It still amaze me, when i see internet users going for what they already have. I not sure of the leo threads, because i only used it during the previous campaign. Although, i plan on using it when football season fully resumes, because it seems some of leo threaders also watch sport like me.
Hitting 55million users in less than 24hrs, still means internet users are still very much interested in web2. Wasting their money and time, to get followers and likes👍.
I wouldn't want to mention names of web2 application, but i guess billions of people are just wasting their resources and time in using them.
I guess they are easy to use, right? And tons of people there. Hive has a steep learning curve.
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Time depending I may use Threads or Twitter, most other places on Web2 I have removed myself, not using it take yourself off. Hive has become a place to enjoy writing, sharing and reading how others are tackling the transition, glad I am not the only one not utilizing short form.
!LUV have a great weekend.
@riverflows, @joanstewart(4/10) sent you LUV. | discord | community | HiveWiki | NFT | <>< daily
! help(no space) to get help on Hive. InfoYes!
Connectivity and feedback play a big part in keeping people visiting....
I've pretty much steered clear of that particular circus. I have a 15-year old Twitter account that I barely use because I'm not really into short form content. I already know this so there's no reason why I would like Meta's version. I just don't care and I guess social media just doesn't have me by the short hairs as much as they wish!
I did support LeoFinance's Threads because I support Hive initiatives but it sadly doesn't have sticking power for me. Do I use Hive every day? Yes! But that's for the love of writing, more than anything else.
Me too. 💗
I think we are on the same page for sure.
Like you, I don't do short form, can never understand it, but that's just me.
There's been so much hype on the news these few days about Threads that it's just crazy, maybe there's no other news around. The xx million users within 24 hours is pointless. If there's so much hype and it's free, everyone will get an account. What is really important is the activity in the long run. Hive has millions of accounts but not many are active, so registered accounts doesn't mean anything. Everyone seems so upbeat about the nothing.
Happy weekend
Exactly.
And yeah like the Titanic sub imploding in the same fortnight as refugee boats sinking, guess where all the attention was?
We are in hardy agreement there. The twitter, tiktok, meta blah blah blah lol. I spend my time reading here on hive although I *did* try threading on leo, but it just didn't do anything for me. Also, youtube has been a big boon for learning or enhancing skills.
Oh my god, completely! I use Instagram (mainly for marketing), and I'm astounded how many people I'm seeing just hopping along on the bandwagon, like it's something innocent and cute and stylish. It's scary to think how desperate people are to belong, in a way. To signal they're one of the herd.
I saw an article about this Threads business on Medium, and they actually used the phrase "don't get left behind". Exactly. FOMO seems to be powering this mass, brainless adoption. And not good FOMO, either.
Oh yeah I've noticed how the marketing is very 'dont miss out'!!! It feels like a fist fight between Musk and Zuckerberg too, like they are flexing, and we're all in the ring. Just wrong.
Remember the Cut The Rope puzzle game 🤣😂🤣😂
You inspired me to go waste some time on that today...
Glad to help...
You see, the online world is something entirely different from ours and embracing it is ones decision to make.....at times addiction might pose a challenge but then tryna control each activity....
Simplemente el mundo sigue girando, la gente escoge en que matar su tiempo y si bien es cierto, los magnates hacen campñas para hacer mas dinero. Gracias a Dios los que conocemos hive invertimos nuestro tiempo y obtenemos recompensas, creo que estamos un paso adelante.
I like Hive and like a true lover, have no reason to cheat on him. Kidding of course, but, while there is no perfect place, I have loved it since I met it. After the adjustments with what the hell Crypto was and this wallet thing. I had a wallet!! Who knew in 2017? The short form is not my thing, but, I will support Threads on Twitter, but, only because it is Leo's.
I can't see myself using it long term, even if I have had those accounts forever, I lost interest in them when social media took over even the youngest of children. We are going to be raising young people who can only move to the rhythm of it. TikTok is like a disease. When social media creeped into work... I won't even start on that one. Although I like YouTube, but mostly because it helped me fix a radiator on a Sunday night when I didn't want to pay triple time to a plumber - and I did it! So...
When Zuck introduced Threads on Insta, I cannot believe that there wasn't more of a ruckus. How dare they? Imagine if it were the other way around. Hive would be labeled thieves...
YouTube is incredible really. Crowd sourced TV.
I love HIVE too, for all it's flaws. I do feel I get more genuine interaction here!
I had a go at tik tok to see what the fuss is about. It's so SHOUTY. They all are. Everyone clamouring for attention and numbing.
Me too!! Is there anything worse than Tik Tok? That was three minutes I will never get back.
Hate to say it, but yes. Social Media is all about distraction and those that do the best distracting get the most upvotes, likes, responses and whatever comes about from successfully distracting another human being. We don't come to Hive or Threads to learn anything because there is no way designed into the system to store, catalog and retrieve anything worth recalling in any logical manner. If it wasn't for the fact that I wrote them, and they are forever in my feed, there would be no way for me even to recall the smart things I've said in a few of my posts. Social Media is design to be looked at, distracted by and forgotten, until someone comes up with a better form of socialization, anyway.
Yeah burn it all down I reckon!
The idea of a short post seems a waste of time to me. Mostly I post to keep friends and family abreast of what's happening on the farm and to serve as memory for me. I really don't do any other forms of social media.
You wouldn't have time anyway!!!
Well, that's another reason, no time to waste on it...