User:Paige.bbenson/BeReal

BeReal (stylized as BeReal.) is a French social media app released in 2020. It was developed by Alexis Barreyat and Kevin Perreau. After a couple of years of relative obscurity, it rapidly gained popularity in early and mid-2022.

Its main feature is a daily notification that encourages users to share a photo of themselves and their immediate surroundings given a randomly selected two-minute window every day. Critics noted its emphasis on authenticity, which some felt crossed the line into mundanity.

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Jason Koebler, a writer for Vice, wrote that in contrast to Instagram, which presents an unattainable view of people's lives, BeReal instead "makes everyone look extremely boring." Niklas Myhr, a professor of social media at Chapman University, argued that depth of engagement may determine whether the app is a passing trend or has "staying power."Kelsey Weekman, a reporter for BuzzFeed News, noted that the app's unwillingness to "glamorise the banality of life" made it feel "humbling", despite its emphasis on authenticity.

The app is targeted towards Gen Z as it primary users to ascept the curated posting patterns that other platforms make avaiable to their audience. BeReal explicitly responses to the term "Instagram Fatigue" defined as social media users feeling disorderiented from reality and numb to content online. This characteristic within users tends to occur when we began to feel overwhelmed and stressed by social media and the constant feeling of needing to interact with other's. Some users have began to feel a constant need to maintain connections creating within these media platforms which cause a type of exhaustion. Other forms of fatigue within media users are feeling bored or no longer entertained by social media. This is caused by an increased usage of social media platforms, where users spend countless hours scrolling. This reaction to media usage is correlated with the Covid-19 pandemic that began in 2020. BeReal advertises it's as different then other platforms because it does not contribute to social media fatigue. However, other's argue that BeReal's two-minute window of posting time causes users to have a instant release of dopamine when they post. Which is still contributing to social media fatigue and the constant stress of having to keep up with peers. Moreover, the app also has been criticized because although it tries to remove social media filtration. It has also created new type of media pressure when trying to represent our lives as interesting. Some critics have responded in stating the app is counterproductive. Although the apps’ objective is to be a more authentic and casual platform. It’s also is introducing constantly feeling of needing to be available for self-exposure within the user. Compared to other social media platforms where users choose when they want to self-promote. This new phenomenon leaves users feeling a constantly need to be doing something interesting, while constantly being engaged with our cell phones just encase BeReal goes off.  

Some people regularly post after the two-minute notification expires, leading to some criticism of the app, as the ability to post late undermines its aims of authenticity. Creating a social media platform different from other startups that allows peers to view our lives as is. Similar to this is the Coca-Cola ad company created in 1971. The companies objective was to declared its product as “the real thing”. Which, is what BeReal is trying to emulate. Their objective is to allow the audience to promote their own self in the most authentic way to friends through media. However, this claim has also made other media platforms began to change their apps formatting as well. This is similar when compared to Pepsi's reaction when Coca-Cola launched their campaign for it discredited other rival companies and their products not being the authentic enough, which is a bold claim.

With the popularity of BeReal, in July 2022 Instagram launched a "Dual Camera" feature similar to BeReal. In August 2022 started testing a similar feature called "IG Candid Challenges" where users are prompted to post once a day within two minutes. As of September 2022, TikTok has also launched a feature called TikTok Now, following the same concept.

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Types of data collected and usage

Personal data collected by the app is approved by user when downloading the app. The type of data being collected are the users Cookies and usage data. Data requests are mandatory by application, any cookies being used or tracked are owned by third party services which users agree to within their cookie policy. Personal data obtained by third party users can be shared or published to the owner for data analysis. However, these terms and conditions of data usage is quite prominent within all social media applications and agreements. An example of this would be information associated with personal identification number or app usage. Any other personal data can be used "in Court or in the stages leading to possible legal action arising from improper use of this Application or the related services." However, this is only under the request of public authorities which data controllers have to make aware to user. The BeReal startup was also developed in France meaning the data collection guideline must follow The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implicated in European counties in 2016.