EXPLORING AUTHENTICITY ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA APP BEREAL

Abstract

BeReal, the latest social media app to gain popularity, explicitly frames itself as a more “authentic” alternative to dominant platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Users can post only once per day, in a random two-minute window controlled by the app. Posts consist of an image that combines photos from a smartphone’s front- and back-facing cameras. While these individual features aren’t novel, the app packages them as an overt response to current cultural frustration with fake-ness. How persuasive is this marketing tactic, especially among a generation that has grown up with social media? To explore this question, we are interviewing young adult BeReal users about how they use the app and to what extent they experience BeReal as a space for authenticity. Our ongoing analysis suggests that while participants find BeReal to offer forms of real-time and spontaneous authenticity, on a deeper level, they question whether social platforms can ever act as vessels for authenticity. These initial findings indicate that young adults may recognize social media claims to authenticity as the marketing tactics they often are.