LOS ANGELES — Twitter has just launched "Fleets," its own version of self-deleting posts called "Stories" available on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.
The platform is starting its test in Brazil, one of its booming markets, or as Twitter qualified it: "One of the most conversational countries."
We could ask ourselves why ephemeral content is becoming so popular; one answer is likely because a lot of users consider their social media home page as a "personal website" and keep posted content clear and consistent. However, sometimes users just want to share personal and low-priority thoughts or opinions that matter in a certain temporary context, such as going to a concert or watching the latest episode of a television show.
"People feel more willing to share casual, everyday thoughts," wrote Mo Aladham, a group product manager at Twitter Brazil.
Technically, from the platform’s point of view, this new feature helps to manage the heavy stream of information being exchanged.
Just as with any other social media space, the more people and the more messages get posted, the harder it becomes for users to read or see everything they are interested in. By adding a secondary content channel, Twitter doubles the chances for users to keep up with the dynamic flow of information.
It's important to highlight that Twitter has stated that Fleets can be reported; even though Fleets disappear after 24 hours, they are stored in case of abuse or misconduct.
Twitter is still one of the few public platforms that tolerates adult content and marketing. It wouldn’t be a surprise if fleets become another popular form of communication for "hot topics."
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