I don’t want to BeReal I want to BeRealistic.
When nothing is certain, we can count on one thing in unprecedented times: there’s always a new shiny social media app invented by tech bros at Silicon Valley. From Facebook to Twitter, Reddit to Pinterest, as if we didn’t have enough social apps for us to live, laugh, love at this moment in time? In this current state of the world? I beg you to consider.
But what happens when people don’t want to be that social anymore? Imagine waking up to protests and condemnation for human rights from Iranians, far-right Brothers of Italy taking power or a heartbreaking episode of House of The Dragon. I can’t think of any way to be social, to be curating those Instagram stories. Let me treasure the peace I found from watching Twilight for the 125th time in my bedroom, for which I give 30-min standing ovation every time. The world seems to be in its flop era and we’re too stunned to speak.
Enter BeReal – the new shiny “anti” social network which wasn’t founded in Silicon Valley. Founded in late 2019 by French tech duo Alexis Barreyat and Kevin Perreau, BeReal dubs itself “a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.” Once a day at a precise time, users receive a notification to urge them to snap a picture and send it to their friends. It is ‘time to BeReal’ they say. Users only have two minutes to respond, and a two-image collage is captured from their front and back cameras. You could be doing your laundry, sitting at your desk at work, discussing the latest Adam Levine debacles, or witnessing the feminist soul leaving your body while in love with Prince Daemon Targaryen – who knows when you’ll get it. It’s all about its immediacy.
And that’s the whole point of it. The app prompts you to live that precious moment in time, to be present. You are advised not to retake the photos, and there is no filter available on the app. The purpose of this is to share the most authentic and unfiltered snapshots of a user’s life. You will be marked “X hours late” if you post late which will prevent you from seeing your friends’ snapshots. With the death of the pristine, picture-perfect Instagram aesthetic, BeReal “capitalises on a continuing quest for authenticity”. “BeReal won’t make you famous,” reads the description of BeReal in the App Store, “if you want to become an influencer you can stay on TikTok and Instagram.”
It’s the “glimpse into the routine drudgery of everyday life”, the mundane of daily activities, and the minimal effort that comes with the app. Yes, I am ready for another week of me doing mediocre.
As of August 2022, BeReal has brought over 10 million daily active users to the table where jaded social media giants dine. Up from only 2.93 daily active users in April, this is seriously impressive growth for a new kid on the block. BeReal is available in most European countries and also in the United States. As of March 2022, BeReal ranked 4th by downloads in the App Store in the U.S., UK, and France following Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest.
But everyone wants to indulge themselves in that main character’s energy and it’s difficult to be popular. Ask Regina George. TikTok recently launched a new feature almost identical to BeReal called “TikTok Now” which is “a daily photo and video experience to share your most authentic moments with the people who matter the most”. “You’ll receive a daily prompt to capture a 10-second video or a static photo to easily share what you’re up to”, the company wrote in a blog post. Instagram, a while ago, launched a new feature called Dual “which lets you record with both your front and back camera at the same time”. This act of copying shouldn’t surprise anyone tho. Remember when Instagram nabbed the “Stories” feature from Snapchat, and both YouTube and Instagram pivoted to short-form video after the growing popularity of TikTok? This is just another clone on the list.
But, “it’s no secret that when robust audiences gather in new places and platforms, brands and marketers follow” – look at Facebook with advertising data, Youtube’s ads, TikTok Shop and Instagram’s product discovery. Will BeReal be monetised in any shape or form? At the moment, BeReal explicitly prohibits using the app for ads; however, it doesn’t seem to hold brands back. Brands are working their creative ways to leverage the next big thing. Chipotle, the American chain of Mexican Grill fast food restaurants, uploaded a photo with the code “FORREAL” written on a Chipotle paper bag inviting the first 100 people to use the code in the Chipotle app to get a free entree. 100 of the codes were gone in approximately 30 minutes, meanwhile Chipotle also acquired 2,000 friends on BeReal. E.L.F is the first beauty brand on BeReal – they promoted across social and in the press, driving exponential growth in the brand’s BeReal following.
It does beg the question about authenticity: if authenticity is being capitalised on, can we ever be authentic? Are we sharing our childhood trauma and experiences because everyone else on the Internet is talking about it? Is Kendall Jenner talking about her mental health issue because it will go viral on TikTok? People are also debating whether or not Kanye West made the right decision to be his “authentic” self with some “unhinged” Instagram posts – whether it’s about Kim K or his Adidas (exposé (rightly so!). 86% of people say authenticity is important when deciding what brands they like and support, while 90% of Millennials say brand authenticity is important, showing younger consumers prefer “real and organic” over “perfect and packaged. Are we trying to be authentic to appeal to more people? Are we just conforming to social convention of whatever means “authentic”? Are brands trying to show “they’re authentic” to get more sales and generates more profit? Authenticity works, or at least the formula to show up as “being authentic” does.
Another day, another new app to keep us all connected. We’ll wait with bated breath and see how far we’re removed from what’s happening. Multiple extreme weather events, social tensions, and the rising cost of living, to name a few, but sure, it’s time to Be Real.
