Be Real - The Latest Social Media App Grabbing The Attention Of The Gen Z Population
Be Real is currently ranking the number 1 app in the Social Networking category in several countries, including the UK. If you haven't heard of Be Real, don't worry, it's still in its early days..
Happy New Week,
Every day, there’s a new app fighting for our attention. The latest social media app grabbing the attention of the Gen Z population is Be Real. A photo-sharing social media app that was launched in 2020 but didn’t start gaining popularity with the Gen Z market till earlier this year. A generation that is very aware of the importance of mental health and craves authenticity, it's no surprise that Be Real is currently ranking the number 1 app in the Social Networking category in several countries, including the UK.
Be Real is gaining popularity mainly because it breaks down social media’s obsession with posting the perfect picture. Be Real is rewriting the rules on posting content that’s not authentic.
At a random time during the day, the app sends users a notification. Once you’ve received that notification, you have a 2-minute window to post a photo of yourself to allow your friends to see what you’re doing in real-time. Similar to how Snapchat photos disappear from BeReal after 24 hours but no filters, no do-overs, and if you do, the app will warn other users, letting them know exactly how many re-takes it took.
If you post outside of the allocated two minutes (therefore allowing time for editing or a quick tidy-up of your surroundings), users will be notified that the post isn't a true representation of your life at that moment. Be Real shows your picture to your friends who have submitted their own Be Reals by default. You can also choose to share your picture publicly, but only those who have also shared a Be Real picture during that day’s picture window will see it.
With everyone complaining about Instagram's new algorithm. There is a huge opportunity for Be Real to take over. Most platforms lack real authenticity. Everyone is posting their best bits on social media to create the perfect version of their lives. Whilst you’re experiencing life in full with all the mundane stuff. This easily creates anxiety, depression, and or self-esteem issues. Multiple studies have shown that the psychological effects of likes, comments, and shares are proving detrimental to the mental health of the general population.
Social media fatigue has become a huge thing recently and Be Real positions itself as a new and refreshing way to use social media and how to discover who your friends really are in their daily life. There’s slightly less pressure to perform, it’s not a platform like Instagram where it’s built for creators to reach a wider audience, on Be Real, you can’t really become an influencer.
Be Real is in a very interesting position at the moment, with it having a huge Gen Z audience, it is very attractive to other platforms and brands. I won’t be surprised if Instagram tries to follow and create something similar. Eventually, all platforms end up turning into a marketplace, we’ve seen it with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and now TikTok. In order for Be Real to remain authentic, monetising people’s data and attention can’t be how they monetise their platform. They will need to keep authenticity at the core of their user experience.
I haven’t jumped on the Be Real bandwagon as I’m trying to use social media less overall, but I've played around with it and it’s very interesting. Don’t be surprised if it completely blows up within the next year. The app had 10,000 daily users in March 2021 and now has over 400,000 today.