Threads could be the purest form of social media if Meta and Mark Zuckerberg agree, according to a tech executive.

Threads could be the purest form of social media if Meta and Mark Zuckerberg agree, according to a tech executive.

Meta’s Threads: A Balance Between Revenue and Goodwill

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is receiving advice from Eric Wittman, the president of VSCO – a social media app that gained popularity in 2019. Wittman emphasizes that Meta should view Threads, their latest venture, as an opportunity to generate goodwill rather than direct revenue. The app, which was introduced as an alternative to Elon Musk’s Twitter (now called X), experienced a surge in sign-ups, reaching 30 million in its first day and 100 million within a week. However, its daily active users plummeted by 70% in the second week, according to the Wall Street Journal. Wittman believes this decline is due to a common trend among social media platforms.

He points out that most social media apps, including Threads, initially aim to connect people but lose their way when they prioritize algorithms to incentivize users to spend more time on the platform. As a consequence, the app becomes driven by clickbait content that promotes engagement, regardless of the negative impact on users. Wittman lambasts this approach, stating that it is detrimental to users’ well-being. VSCO, which gained popularity among female teens known as VSCO girls, avoids this pitfall by not featuring ads. Instead, it offers users memberships to access enhanced features.

Nevertheless, once social media companies face the economic pressure to sell ads, the situation changes. Meta, for instance, generated $59.6 billion in ad sales during the first six months of the year. Wittman compares this scenario to the television industry, where the key focus is on attracting viewers. However, prioritizing the well-being of the online community, especially younger individuals, over an algorithm that promotes toxic engagement could have significant benefits. Not only would it improve public perception, but it could also appease lawmakers who are calling for increased regulation of social media platforms.

Criticism of social media’s negative effects has grown in recent years. Surgeon General’s office highlighted the harmful impact of social media on youth mental health, while lawmakers in the US have been critical of Meta since the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2016. In 2018, a U.N. report accused Facebook’s algorithms of playing a significant role in promoting ethnic violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar, and similar allegations were made against WhatsApp in relation to anti-Muslim hate crimes in India.

Both Zuckerberg and Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, have stated that Threads will remain ad-free for the foreseeable future. Zuckerberg expressed a commitment to making the product work well and reaching 1 billion users before considering monetization. Wittman hopes that Meta will continue this approach even after reaching the one billion user milestone, as this aligns with Zuckerberg’s original vision of creating a healthy and positive platform for connecting people.

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In conclusion, Meta’s Threads has the potential to strike a balance between revenue generation and fostering goodwill among its user base. By prioritizing the well-being of the online community and remaining ad-free, Threads can differentiate itself from other social media platforms and address the growing concerns about the negative effects of social media.