Threads’ early hours marked by internet nostalgia as users feel out Twitter rival

For many, the first few hours after Threads launched felt like the first day of summer camp.

People found old friends (from other platforms), joked about adding another app to their social media diet and wondered if Mark Zuckerberg's newest Meta platform would be a "Twitter killer" — all while phones buzzed for hours with notifications of new users joining up.

As writer Dana Schwartz noted, "the social stratum isn’t established yet because no one is sure who was popular back at their school."

Putting popularity (number of followers) aside, the vibe on Threads in its first 12 hours was a combination of the ridiculous, the lighthearted and a little cringe.

Many used the app's infancy as an excuse to impulse post in ways they might've avoided on more established apps.

"How am I this addicted to an app I barely know. It’s like I’m dating in my 20s again make it stop," posted beauty and food writer Charlotte Palermino.

Others who have long been active on several platforms apologized for their online personas colliding.

“Apologies in advance to my instagram friends who don’t know the twitter version of me,” posted Democratic strategist Keith Edwards.

And some just took the new platform's launch as an opportunity to reintroduce themselves. There were journalists who shared recent clips, and Instagram influencers who took the opportunity to share details about who they are and what they post about. Even some celebrities got in on the fun, posting memes and jokes once they'd joined the social media app.

Threads has been chaotic yet blissful, users said, noting the app reminded them of the early days of the internet — especially since ads have yet to hit the platform.

At first glance, Threads looks like a Twitter-Instagram hybrid, but it operates closer to Twitter. Users open the app to a scrollable feed of short-form text, which is limited to 500-characters. Users can also post photos and videos to the platform.

Similar to Twitter, users can like, reshare and comment on Threads. They can also "quote post" a Thread. Unlike Twitter, these posts can be shared to Instagram’s story feed. Direct messaging is also currently not available, so no sliding into other people’s DMs just yet.

Because Threads gives users the ability to port in features from their Instagram accounts, including a prompt to follow the same users on both platforms, some of those users were able to quickly find their groove on the platform.

People are referring to the app as the latest Twitter "dupe," or "Twitter clone," wondering if this will be the one that sticks. Since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, users have looked to platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon as possible replacements.

“i love that there are so many Twitter clones, but i keep checking this one because the Instagram import feature makes my phone brrrrrrr more than bluesky/mastodon/etc.!! my reptile brain is no match for this!!!!!!” wrote journalist Makena Kelly.

Others lamented how they have to juggle another app.

"Me trying to keep up with all the social media platforms nowadays," one user wrote, with an image of someone on their phone while standing in front of a dozen phones.

There is also still some initial confusion surrounding the app.

Feeds are not chronological and, in some cases, have included posts from people a user isn't following.

Others urged people to hold off on praising the app as more kinks and bugs were worked on, noting that the app still had time to become “bad.”

Many homed in on the fact that they don't know what to call a post on Threads. One person joked they could still be called tweets.

There were also people who couldn't resist joking about how Zuckerberg's app might be the best "Twitter clone" yet. Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, is of course responsible for Facebook, one of the first major social media platforms to dominate the online space.

"i cannot believe we’re all rooting for zuckerberg in the year of our lord 2023," user TheCultureOfMe wrote.

Journalist Wesley Lowery echoed the sentiment.

"only elon musk could have me rooting for mark zuckerberg," he posted.

While some pondered the current social media landscape, others harkened back to the social media platforms of yesterday.

"MySpace custom backgrounds when," TikTokker Jonathan Graziano asked.

By Thursday morning, more than 30 million people had signed up for Threads, Zuckerberg said in a post.

As users fall into the rhythm of Threads, some are already reflecting on how they will look back on their initial posts and question everything.

"I’m already feeling the embarrassment of re-reading my first threads ten years from now," writer Michelle Konstantinovsky posted.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com