Shouldn’t everyone know how to BeReal? After the events of 2020, you would think individuals would be open to embracing an unfiltered look at life. At least that’s what the new app, BeReal, is attempting to encourage!
One of social media’s newest apps has taken the world by storm due to its daily, random notification to post a photo in real-time, hoping to discourage opportunities to stage, overthink, or edit photos.
While the app remained relatively obscure for the first few years after its conception, it has certainly taken over today’s social media landscape. Downloads of the app have risen by 315% totaling 91 million downloads in 2022– an impressive number considering how young the app is!
How Does it Work?:
The app’s function is quite simple, as it “notifies users at a random time throughout the day that it's ‘⚠️Time to Be Real⚠️’. Once users have received this notification, a two-minute timer begins, signaling users that they have a limited amount of time to capture what it is that they are doing at that moment, further emphasizing the concept of being real (Cheong, 2022).
Once users are ready to BeReal, the app takes a photo using the front and back cameras of their device so that friends on the app can see what they look like and what you are up to.
Due to the fact that they only have a two-minute time slot, users are unable to put a full face of makeup on or edit their photos to get that picture-perfect post. This natural look allows people to realize that social media isn’t always as it seems, as the notification is typically unexpected, allowing users to embrace their true selves and encourage others to do the same.
Of course, you can always “be fake” and post after the notification’s two-minute window, but that completely defeats the purpose of the app!
Why BeReal?
The app naturally has an “anti-Instagram” guise in the sense that it hopes to encourage its users to move away from the overly curated and edited social media feed. The goal of the platform is not to go viral or become famous, it is purely to showcase a carefree, and ad-free, experience.
Take it from our very own Digital Marketing Strategist, Sasha Khatami, who spoke to Vox about her thoughts on the platform.
“It has the vintage feel of early Instagram…I think it’s an interesting shift for people like me, who are used to posting curated content for so long, now toward a reminder to post in the moment.”
As a company that values authenticity in its everyday mission, we love that BeReal’s platform has made so many steps to further encourage online authenticity. If your brand is looking for ways to increase its authenticity on social media, contact BlueTickSocial today for your free consultation!
Sources:
How Can You Use BeReal For Business?
Leading social media apps worldwide in 2022, by downloads
Are we ever authentically ourselves on the internet?
