Meta and Bluesky: The Race to Replace Twitter : Big changes are happening in the world of social media. Meta’s Threads is making moves to keep up with new competition, especially from Bluesky, a smaller platform that’s quickly growing. Both are working hard to win over users who are leaving X (formerly Twitter), and the competition is heating up.
What’s Going On?
Bluesky, a social media start-up, has been gaining momentum. It’s adding about 1 million new users every day. This rapid growth has brought challenges, like keeping its site running smoothly and moderating content with only a small team of 20 people. Despite these struggles, Bluesky’s popularity is rising fast.
Meanwhile, Meta is keeping a close eye on this competitor. Threads, which launched in 2023, is Meta’s answer to X. It’s already attracted 275 million users, but Bluesky’s recent growth going from 13 million to 22 million users in just two weeks is making Meta take action.
What Is Meta Doing?
Meta is borrowing ideas from Bluesky to keep Threads ahead. For example, Threads now offers “custom feeds,” similar to Bluesky’s feature that lets users create or follow topic-specific feeds. This gives people more control over what they see, moving away from the algorithm-driven approach of platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Another big change is Threads’ updated algorithm, which now prioritizes posts from people you follow. This shift makes Threads feel more like Bluesky, focusing on building communities rather than just showing random content.
Why Does This Matter?
Bluesky’s success shows that people want something new in social media. Many users are looking for alternatives to X, especially after changes under Elon Musk’s leadership. Bluesky’s approach, which promotes real-time news and personalized feeds, is striking a chord with those who want a fresh, more user-focused experience.
At the same time, Meta is doing what it’s done before: adapting fast. Just like it copied Snapchat’s Stories and TikTok’s short videos, it’s now taking inspiration from Bluesky to protect its position as a social media leader.
The Bigger Picture
Bluesky’s rise feels like a David vs. Goliath story. Founded by Jack Dorsey, former Twitter CEO, the platform is now owned mostly by its employees. Its rapid growth even caused service outages recently, which the company has since fixed. This growth has brought excitement and buzz that smaller platforms rarely achieve.
Threads, backed by Meta’s massive resources, has an advantage. Its close ties with Instagram have made it easy for users to join and find friends. However, Threads recently decided to stop automatically importing Instagram connections. Meta says users prefer building fresh communities on Threads instead.
The Future of Social Media
The race to replace X is just getting started. Bluesky and Threads aren’t just chasing each other they’re both competing with X, which still has a huge user base. Musk recently claimed X is reaching “new highs in usage.”
This competition is refreshing for users. It’s bringing innovation to an industry that’s been dominated by a few big players for years. As more platforms like Bluesky and Threads grow, users are getting more choicesand more control—over how they connect online. That’s something we haven’t seen in a long time.
So, whether you’re on Threads, Bluesky, or sticking with X, it’s clear the way we use social media is changing. And that’s an exciting shift for everyone.
