Context · Social Media
Threads is Meta's Twitter clone, launched in 2023 and quietly growing through 2025 and 2026 as teens leave X. Many teens use it because their parents and grandparents are on Facebook and Instagram, and Threads is the version of those apps that still feels like theirs.
Why this matters for your kid
Threads pulls from the Instagram social graph, which means an account a teen makes on Threads is connected to people who follow their Instagram, including adults who might not be in their main social circle. Threads is often the first place a teen posts public text content with their real name attached to it.
What your child experiences
A feed that looks like a quieter Twitter, with text posts, replies, and reposts. The algorithm pushes engagement-driving content the same way every other Meta product does, and topics like dating advice, body image, and influencer drama trend the same way they do everywhere else.
What to watch for
Public posts under their own name that could follow them into adult life, and engagement with anonymous accounts who pretend to be teens but are not. The "everyone's on Threads now" line is mostly true at this point, and the question is what shows up in the feed and what your kid is willing to post out loud.