Today, I just signed up for an account on Threads Up. As a branding and communication strategist, I interact with Twitter on behalf of the individuals and organisations that I conduct digital marketing for but never have I used Twitter in my personal life.

Despite being a little well-read- at least enough to share my views on social commentary – I have always been hesitant to join Twitter because of the stories- I’ve seen people get attacked for their opinions, appearance, and personal lives. It’s a platform where people can hide behind their screens and say whatever they want, without fear of consequences.

I’m not saying that everyone on Twitter is a bully. There are plenty of great people who use the platform for positive things. But I’ve seen enough to know that a social platform will only appeal to me if it provides some form of emotional safety.

Enter Threads Up. This new platform, founded by Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta, is designed to be a more supportive and inclusive space for users to connect and share ideas. Forget the unforgivable similarities with Twitter and the sneaky reliance on Instagram (given most Twitter users are not big on Insta), Threads Up seems to have been designed with a strong emphasis on psychological safety.

Threads Up is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to be a major player in the social media landscape. If it can successfully address the challenges of psychological safety, it could become a valuable tool for people who want to connect and share ideas in a more supportive and inclusive environment.

Online platforms have become breeding grounds for cyberbullying, harassment, and hate speech. These negative experiences can have a profound impact on users’ mental health and well-being. Recognizing this issue, the platform’s developers have implemented various features and policies to create a supportive and inclusive environment for users so far.

One of the key features of Threads Up is its focus on limited threads. Unlike Twitter, where users can post an unlimited number of tweets in a thread, Threads Up limits users to just ten responses per thread. This helps to keep threads focused and prevents them from becoming overwhelming or chaotic.

Threads Up has so far been reported to have a more supportive moderation team than Twitter. The platform’s moderators are trained to identify and remove harmful content, such as hate speech, bullying, and harassment. This helps to create a safer and more welcoming environment for users.

In addition, Threads Up has several other features that are designed to promote psychological safety, such as:

• A “mute” button that allows users to block unwanted interactions.
• A “report” button that allows users to flag harmful content.
• A “safety centre” that provides resources on how to stay safe online.
•  A reputation system that rewards positive behaviour and discourages toxic interactions.
• A privacy setting option that allow users to control who can view and interact with their content

With its commitment to psychological safety, Threads Up offers a refreshing alternative to Twitter. By promising to implement strict moderation policies, robust privacy settings, and promoting positive connections, the platform has gained followers at a quicker rate, and guess what I am one of them!!