July 12, 2023
Meta’s Threads Sees Major Success in First Week
Meta is taking the social media world by storm with its latest product, Threads. More than 100 million users have signed up for the new app, surpassing even ChatGPT’s rapid clip of monthly users. Threads’ growth has been driven by Meta-owned Instagram, which users must be registered with to access. Threads joins new alternatives to Twitter, including Bluesky, Mastodon, and Spill.
Tech rival Twitter has taken issue with Threads, threatening Meta legal action in a cease-and-desist letter that raises accusations of intellectual property violations. Twitter may have reason to fear Threads’ success—data show a 5% drop in Twitter’s traffic during Threads’ first two days, and a 11% decline from a year ago.
From Media to Tech and Higher Education, Public Confidence is Plummeting
Americans’ confidence in institutions has hit a new low, according to a Gallup poll that’s tracked trends since 1979. All major institutions, from government to business, have seen big declines. Only small percentages of those surveyed reported significant confidence in traditional media—newspapers (18%) and televisions news (14%). These findings follow data showing continued distrust of media.
While media confidence has steadily dropped over time, the public’s trust in technology firms has faced a steeper decline. Research from the Brookings Institution reveal that favorability among top tech institutions fell across every demographic from 2018-2021. Higher education has also taken a hit—Gallup reported that just over one-third (36%) have confidence in America’s colleges.
Demand for Content Grows amidst Uncertainty about Moderation and Authorship
With more consumers, causes, and commerce, content remains crucial—but how it’s generated and moderated is changing. In the age of AI, more communicators are incorporating automation to accelerate production and meet demand. Despite copyright questions and magnified misinformation, some marketers argue that consumers do not consider how content is created.
How content is moderated online is just beginning to be litigated. The Justice Department has proposed a stay on a recent federal ruling that has major implications on the government’s ability to coordinate with social media companies on moderating content, including the spread of false or misleading information.
Sequence Summaries: Threads Success, Institution Erosion, and Content Conundrum
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