Hashtags are meant to normalize sharing the highs and lows of daily life – by not only signaling that it’s okay to do so, but actually encouraging it – so your close friends and family can support and encourage you!

Choosing a hashtag provides a moment of self-awareness desperately lacking in most social media sharing today. To categorize what you’re sharing requires pausing to reflect on the questions: What is it that I’m sharing? Why am I sharing it? Is it a highlight? Is it something I just achieved that I’m stoked on? Or is it a lowlight…or something I’m struggling with?

Hashtags singal what kind of content is meant to be shared on Threads.

The hashtags define what kind of content Threads is meant for and, more importantly, what kind of content has no place on the app. They’re designed to support you in sharing real life updates and how you’re feeling about them, rather than using Threads like other social media platforms that have become an open soapbox where people mindlessly share anything under the sun for the purpose of generating shares, likes, and followers. Threads, on the other hand, is meant for garnering support and encouragement only from the people you know and love.

Sharing this kind of information regularly with your close friends and family is healthy. That said, tone is a key factor in our individual self-expression, but digitally (especially in written format) it can be tough for others to read between the lines. This is where hashtags come in handy – they allow you to express yourself naturally, whether your style is self-deprecating sarcasm or “positive vibes only,” and still give signal to others on the role this moment plays in the story of your life. It helps strengthen communication in your relationships, and allows your social support network to show up for you.