What Does it Really Mean to BeReal?
The evolution of a new form of social media
—By Nate Petty
As you walk through the heart of the U-M campus at 2:37 pm, you suddenly see hordes of college students of all ages pulling out their phones to capture whatever is happening around them. What in the world? you may think. This, however, is not some fever dream or flash mob. Instead, it is the result of a new social media platform known as BeReal taking over.
What is BeReal?
BeReal is a new app that was released in 2019. The premise was to create a form of social media that steers away from the toxic and unending stream of posts we currently have and instead only allow a post about once a day. At a random time on any given day, BeReal sends a notification to all of its users announcing that it is “Time to BeReal,” initiating a two-minute countdown. The result is countless users opening the app and taking both a front and back facing photo to “be real” by showing everything that is occurring in their life at that moment. The post then goes into storage where users can look back on each past post, effectively creating a memory album.
This concept of coordinating posts is what initially drew Jarryn Shin, a student at U-M, into downloading BeReal. “I thought it was interesting because…everyone does it at the same time,” Shin said.
Users are of course not absolutely required to post within the two minutes; however, BeReal will put a disclaimer at the top of that person’s photo letting their friends know that is the case.
Social media’s growing presence
In an article published by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, marketing professor Jonah Berger explains, “Young people care about what using one platform or another says about them.” This is an efficient way of explaining the peer pressure that comes with the developments of new social media platforms. All that it takes for a new form of social media to take off is for it to reach a certain threshold of users such that young people feel they can no longer afford to miss out, also known as a network effect.
As a result, social media is playing an increasing role in our daily lives. Pew Research is a nonpartisan think tank which provides information on many important issues. A recent Pew Research study found that 54% of teens think it would be at least “somewhat hard” to give up social media.
Statistics like this are compounded with the increasing access to technology and social media. The same study found that 95% of teens have access to a smartphone. This is a staggering number, showing how technology and social media have come to dominate our lives.
With the rise of technology and social media as well as the pressures to interact on the popular forms of social media, it has never been easier for new platforms such as BeReal to come into the mainstream.
How BeReal was able to BeSuccesful
BeReal is not a typical social media platform. Many of the most popular apps and websites allow users to find news, photos, and entertainment that suits their moment to moment desires. As such, these other platforms have been able to grow large and diverse user bases. BeReal, however, focuses on a simple photo once a day with an optional caption. There is no news on BeReal, or funny cat videos, or even entertainment that you can specifically search for. This makes it especially unique when considering its ability to take hold within a younger generation that fiends for constant stimulation. As of now, BeReal does not bring in any revenue. It is funded by venture capitalists who likely hope to sell it off at a premium to a larger social media brand, or implement advertising into the app.
The most likely cause for success is the ability to easily allow only your closest friends to see your posts and know that they are also doing the same. Similar to Instagram, a user can be either public or private. A public user displays their posts to the entire user base. A private user allows only their accepted friends to see. Typical follower counts on BeReal are much lower due to the increased difficulty of finding other users and the widely accepted intention of the app to be more personal. An article by the Guardian explains that BeReal helps take away “the increasing pressure to perform” that many people find on social media these days. There is a sense of camaraderie and friendship in knowing you and your best friends will post what you are doing at the same time each day without worrying what others think.
BeReal might just BeTheFuture
This initial lure allowed BeReal to take a foothold in a generation refusing to miss out on any trends. Lauren Hertzer, a senior at U-M, recalls when she first downloaded BeReal, “All my friends were taking their BeReals and they showed me that you can save them each day. I liked the fact that you can look back on all the photos you have taken.” The photo album that BeReal creates is certainly one of the many reasons users decide to stick with the app; if they were to delete the app they would no longer have access to months of memories BeReal compiles for them.
By keeping users on the app, BeReal is able to make sure their user base continues to grow.
BeReal can BeAHassle
Not everyone is a fan of notifications when not in the mood to post what they are doing. Alvin Yao is a U-M student who only used BeReal for a few days before deleting the app from his phone.
“I deleted [BeReal] because I didn’t like the constant notifications telling me to post a picture when I’m in the middle of a mundane task,” Yao said. Jeff Huang is another U-M student, currently a senior in Ross, who did not get the draw of BeReal. “I don’t use BeReal because I feel like it would be showing me at my desk every day,” Huang said.
Both Yao and Huang’s comments on BeReal seem to focus on the key idea that either endears users to the app or alienates them. The premise of posting whether or not you are doing something interesting is something that some may find as a pleasant escape from social media. Others, however, may simply see the app as a waste of time. Opinions such as Huang and Yao’s are certainly not positive; however this has not stopped BeReal from amassing a large user base.
Jason Liang, a senior at U-M, summed up his reasoning for staying away from BeReal by explaining that he is “simply too lazy.” This is not an uncommon reaction to the onslaught of post notifications from BeReal, which come approximately once a day reminding you to post and every time one of your friends posts.
Every platform has people who feel that it does not fit their lifestyle, and that is certainly the case for BeReal. Although, some feel it is not a good fit for them, BeReal is able to draw even more people as the user base increases and friends convince their friends to give the app a second chance.
With BeReal’s growth in popularity has come a growth of competitors and copycats trying to cash in on this new form of social media. Recently TikTok, one of the world’s largest social media platforms, introduced a new feature called TikTok Now. One Washington Post article describes TikTok Now as “nearly a clone of BeReal.”
Competition from major social media giants such as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook is sure to be stiff, but BeReal has positioned itself for a strong defense. Outside of BeReal, many new apps have attempted to join in on the trend of creating business models that provide a form of social media that is less overwhelming for the users. Apps such as Locket, which allows users to have a group of three friends who can see each other’s pictures on their home screen, are attempting to provide an alternative form of social media.
After watching the students on the Diag put their phones back away, you may decide to download BeReal and give it a shot. Chances are the app may fit your needs no matter which side of the social medium spectrum you fall on. Those looking for a less intensive app will find it and those looking for another social media app to add to their collection will find it just right. Either way, it appears there will be many more BeReal flash mobs in the future.
Feature photo, neon signage; photo credit, Prateek Katyal via Unsplash