The Sad Reality Behind @Threads: Fake Users and Fading Popularity
When Meta launched Threads, it billed the app as the new hub for quick, text-based conversations — a “Twitter competitor” integrated tightly with Instagram’s massive user base. But beneath the shiny marketing veneer, Threads quickly revealed itself to be plagued by a serious problem: a massive number of fake users, and a rapidly declining real user engagement that questions its very relevance.
Meta, the social media giant behind Facebook and Instagram, has a long history of leveraging its existing platforms to push new apps. Threads was no different. By auto-connecting Instagram followers, it gave the impression of an instant, bustling community. However, much of this community turned out to be artificial — accounts created en masse, often bots or ghost profiles designed to inflate user metrics. This tactic, while perhaps effective at first glance, undermines the very essence of social media: authentic, meaningful interactions.
Why do fake users matter so much? Because they distort the ecosystem. When an app’s “user base” is bloated with bots, the number of real conversations shrinks. Genuine users find fewer real voices to engage with, making the platform feel hollow. Engagement rates plummet, and the social experience — the lifeblood of any social network — evaporates. For Threads, this has meant a growing reputation as a ghost town where meaningful discussion is rare and the vast majority of “activity” is just noise generated by automated accounts.
Another issue is how Meta’s bot-heavy strategy highlights the platform’s unpopularity. Real users quickly realized that Threads offers little unique value. Its heavily text-based format lacks the richness of Twitter’s fast-paced conversational threads and the diverse content ecosystem of Instagram. The app is seen as a diluted, second-tier product — neither here nor there. This leads to low retention rates, and the few authentic users who try it tend to abandon it after a short time.
Worse still, the artificial inflation of users does more harm than good in the long run. When new users sign up and see engagement numbers that feel fake or spammy, they lose trust. Advertisers also become wary, as inflated metrics mean lower return on investment. Meta’s heavy-handed approach to pumping Threads with fake activity becomes self-defeating.
Meta should seriously reconsider its approach. Instead of buying artificial growth with bots and fake users, the company needs to invest in creating genuine value. That means fostering real communities, supporting unique content, and addressing what made Twitter popular in the first place — authentic conversations that feel human and immediate.
Until Meta stops generating fake users and starts focusing on building a real community, Threads will remain overshadowed by the giants it tries to compete with. It’s not enough to build an app with big numbers on paper. Social media thrives on connection, trust, and genuine engagement. Without those, Threads risks becoming just another forgotten experiment in Meta’s vast, sprawling empire.
In summary, Threads’ fake user problem reflects a deeper issue: a lack of authenticity and relevance. Meta’s attempt to muscle into Twitter’s territory with bots and inflated stats backfired, alienating the real users it desperately needs. For Threads to survive, it must shed its ghost town image and cultivate a real, vibrant user base — something no number of fake accounts can replace.
Top comments (1)
threads is fake!
dont beleve me , go and watch for yourself!