Meta’s Response to Increased Engagement Bait on Threads
If you’ve noticed more engagement bait appearing across your Threads feed, you’re not alone. Meta is aware of the issue and looking at how to address it, according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. “We’ve seen an increase in engagement bait on Threads and we’re working to get it under control,” Mosseri said on Threads in response to comments flagging the issue.
Engagement bait on Threads typically covers posts with banal questions or invites for open-ended discussions to encourage other users to interact. Because Threads, like Instagram, pushes users to see an algorithmic feed of posts by default, getting more interactions can snowball a simple post into virality.
When asked about comparisons between Threads and X in a recent Decoder interview, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg alluded to the fact that comment engagement was a fundamental aspect of a “very good discussion-oriented platform.”
“Not all comments or replies are good,” said Mosseri. “Mark’s comment is more about Twitter pioneering a format where the reply can be elevated, which is a good thing, but that doesn’t mean that every reply should be.” The thread that Mosseri replied to cites one example of a bait post, featuring a seemingly AI-generated image paired with an incendiary take on politeness that had pulled in more than 17,000 responses.
Business Insider’s Katie Notopoulos recently experimented with posts that intentionally motivated users to reply to see if the tactic was successful and could be used to abuse the Threads algorithm.
The tests were “almost too successful,” according to Notopoulos, who found people were still replying to one post four days after it was initially published, backing up the idea that the platform’s algorithm prioritizes posts with a higher number of comments over those with more reposts or likes. This incentivizes people to play to the algorithm on platforms such as Threads and X that financially reward creators based on how their posts perform, even if those posts are meaningless or based on made-up information.
A statement provided to Notopoulos by an undisclosed Meta rep confirmed that post replies are considered when determining which posts are recommended to Threads users, alongside how recently a post was published and the accounts and posts that users interact with.
Mosseri didn’t reveal how the engagement bait issue would be resolved, saying only that there was “more to come.”
Expert Discussion
To provide a deeper understanding of this issue, we’ve invited several experts to discuss the implications of engagement bait and the potential solutions.
Guests:
- Dr. Sarah Blake, Social Media Psychologist
- Thomas Reed, Digital Marketing Strategist
- Jessica Li, Technology Sociologist
Moderated Discussion:
Host: “Thank you all for joining. Starting with you, Dr. Blake, what are the psychological effects of engagement bait on users?”
Dr. Sarah Blake: “Engagement bait often leads to an increase in dopamine release due to the instant gratification of likes and replies, but it can also create a cycle of dependency where users feel compelled to engage with meaningless content.”
Host: “Thomas, how do you think content creators can adapt to these changes on Threads?”
Thomas Reed: “Creators should focus on authentic engagement and delivering value rather than exploiting algorithms. Building a genuine community will lead to longer-lasting success.”
Host: “Jessica, what responsibilities do platforms like Meta have in curbing engagement bait?”
Jessica Li: “Platforms have a significant role in moderating content. They need to invest in better algorithms to distinguish between meaningful interactions and engagement bait to enhance user experience.”
Conclusion:
As the debate continues, we invite our readers to share their thoughts in the comments below. Have you noticed an increase in engagement bait? What do you think platforms should do about it?