Meta's Social Media Platform Introduces Temporary Posts That Disappear After 24 Hours
In an effort to shake up its users' posting habits, Meta has introduced a new feature on its social media platform Threads. Dubbed "ghost posts," these temporary entries will be displayed in the main feed but only remain visible for 24 hours. A unique twist is that while other users can engage with ghost posts through likes and comments, the original poster alone can view these interactions.
In contrast to regular posts, replies to ghost posts won't appear in the public feed; instead, they'll be delivered directly to the recipient's inbox where they can choose to respond privately. This change could also mean that reply limits are lower for ghost posts, as Meta's default messaging settings restrict direct messages to users who have followed each other.
While it may seem surprising, given the success of ephemeral formats like Instagram Stories, which encourage users to share unfiltered thoughts without the pressure of permanence or polish. This new feature aims to replicate that effect on Threads by allowing users to express themselves freely without the burden of permanent posts.
However, Meta's foray into ephemeral posting is not without precedent. The company briefly experimented with an "Fleets"-style feature on Twitter, which was met with lukewarm reception and ultimately discontinued after less than a year due to CEO Jack Dorsey's reported dissatisfaction.
In an effort to shake up its users' posting habits, Meta has introduced a new feature on its social media platform Threads. Dubbed "ghost posts," these temporary entries will be displayed in the main feed but only remain visible for 24 hours. A unique twist is that while other users can engage with ghost posts through likes and comments, the original poster alone can view these interactions.
In contrast to regular posts, replies to ghost posts won't appear in the public feed; instead, they'll be delivered directly to the recipient's inbox where they can choose to respond privately. This change could also mean that reply limits are lower for ghost posts, as Meta's default messaging settings restrict direct messages to users who have followed each other.
While it may seem surprising, given the success of ephemeral formats like Instagram Stories, which encourage users to share unfiltered thoughts without the pressure of permanence or polish. This new feature aims to replicate that effect on Threads by allowing users to express themselves freely without the burden of permanent posts.
However, Meta's foray into ephemeral posting is not without precedent. The company briefly experimented with an "Fleets"-style feature on Twitter, which was met with lukewarm reception and ultimately discontinued after less than a year due to CEO Jack Dorsey's reported dissatisfaction.
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I think this new "ghost post" feature is kinda interesting... it's like Meta's trying to find that sweet spot between sharing your thoughts on social media without the pressure of making them perfect, and still allowing for some level of engagement. But at the same time, I'm not sure if it'll really work 
, especially since Twitter tried something similar before and it didn't quite take off. What do you guys think? Should we be excited about this new feature or is it just another attempt by Meta to shake things up 
, so it's cool that they're offerin' a way to express ourselves freely 4 a bit. But at the same time, I wonder if this'll lead 2 more people share-in' their personal thoughts online w/o thinkin' 'bout consequences... like how we handle sensitive topics in public forums 
this feels like another attempt to make us all more considerate of our online presence... it's not like we're not aware of the permanence of posts already 
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. But, on the other hand, it might also lead to some users ignoring comments or messages from others... 
... they used to be so cool! Now it feels like everyone's been doing the ephemeral thing for years 
... anyway, this "ghost post" thingy might actually make me wanna be more careful about what I share online 
. Can't say it's a game-changer or anything, but I suppose it's nice to have another option for when you just want to let your hair down without the permanent record 
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Plus, it's always interesting to see how people engage (or don't) with these types of posts. Will some users just use this feature to vent their frustrations, or will they actually share something meaningful for a whole 24 hours? I'm intrigued to try it out myself!
! Think about it, we've all been guilty of posting something on social media that we immediately regret sharing... or wanted to take back 
. This feature lets us express ourselves without the permanent record, which is a major win in my book 
. Plus, it's giving users more control over their interactions - no more worrying about replies going public 
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), users are spending an average of 30% more time on threads that use ghost posts... just saying 
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it's like the Instagram Stories vibes but on a more permanent-ish platform lol Meta's trying to make us chill about our posts for once, you know? no more worrying about getting roasted or having your cat pic foreverly displayed 
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And yeah, it's similar to Instagram Stories where people can just share their thoughts without worrying about what others think. It's like a digital diary or something! But I'm not sure if it'll catch on with all users, some might miss having their posts up forever... maybe?