Are you Thready for it? Threads has arrived to the metaverse.

The New York Times flashed an astonishing headline this morning: Threads – the most rapidly downloaded app ever — a staggering 30 million downloads within the past 24 hours.

This digital phenomenon has the once-upon-a-time charm of Twitter. It's the latest social media networking app to find its way on our phones, and part of the Instagram universe. It's text-focused and whilst you can share links, images, gifs, etc, its premise is that you are posting text-based content - like tweets. For me, it feels like that place we all loved before it transformed into a playground for right-wing rants and unsolicited opinions.

As a writer with a perpetually open "content brain dump" note on my phone, Threads seems to answer a silent prayer. It's Twitter sans the vitriol. It's where people get real, unlike the glorified mirage that Instagram has come to be.

I've watched people revel in their freedom to post a million times in a row without fear of judgement. It's like the world's biggest group chat.

With Threads, we're throwing caution to the wind and abandoning the numbers game. For now, creators have given ideal posting times and intricate content strategies the middle finger. There's no room for metrics, sales, or pleasing the algorithm overlords. People are posting what they want, when they want, and simply having a damn good time with it.

And let's be real: it's a riot to see your favourite brands unabashedly shitposting (Att: Gelato Messina - your social team needs a pay rise, stat).

This new playground has us reminiscing about the social media Stone Age - MySpace, early Facebook, Tumblr, BeBo, and MSN Messenger. Particularly for millennials, it evokes memories of a time before the capitalistic invasion of digital marketing. We were just fiddling with our top 8 and blasting Fall Out Boy on our profiles.

These platforms prioritised human connection and conversation so, it's not surprising that our generation is falling head over heels for Threads. It's a sweet bite of the 'good old days' and restores a sense of connectivity that we'd lost in the maze of algorithms.

But as much as we enjoy this nostalgic ride, let's not forget: Threads will evolve. The digital overlords, with Zuckerberg at the helm, are not here for charity.

Our vision may be rose-tinted for now, but sooner or later, monetisation, ads, algorithms, and perhaps search functions, will step in. The platform will transform, just as Instagram did with reels and Facebook with ads. The question is: How will the Thread-makers leverage what they've learned from this monumental launch?

We're overwhelmed, overstimulated, and overworked. We yearn for a more authentic digital existence. Will Meta listen? Or will Threads just become another cog in the giant money-making metaverse, slowly losing its unique charm?

Only time will tell, but for now, let's get back to shitposting, shall we?