Say goodbye to Instagrammable?
Background of the new SNS hit that does not shine August 24, 16:56
Young people strike perfect poses on the beach as they look happy at the party.
Video and photo posting apps and Instagram are overflowing with posts of “shine” photos that have been decided and processed.
It is the so-called "Instagrammable".
However, in the United States, interest is now beginning to gather in SNS that are the exact opposite of Instagrammable, and which are “unsightly”.
Its name is "BeReal".
A new SNS that suddenly jumped to the top of the number of SNS downloads on the app store.
What is behind the trend?
Read and understand new trends in the Internet society.
(Los Angeles bureau reporter Nana Yamada)
Number of downloads No.1
New SNS "BeReal".
It literally means "be real", that is, "be yourself".
As of the end of August, it is the number one downloaded free SNS app on Apple's App Store, surpassing Facebook and WhatsApp.
What is it that appeals to consumers?
No filter 2 minutes or less once a day
The biggest feature is that you can't process photos like Instagram.
You can't use filters to brighten the colors of food in your photos or change the colors of a sunset to make them look better.
Additionally, you are only allowed to post once a day.
It is a rule to upload a photo within 2 minutes in principle when a notification is received from the application.
The photos are taken simultaneously by both the smartphone's outer and inner cameras, so you'll also have your face in the moment, every time.
There are strict restrictions on timing and time, so no matter how you think about it, it's difficult to post a "shine" photo, and the system is to post a real photo of the poster.
Moreover, the photos are only available to friends.
With each new post, the previous post disappears.
SNS fatigue is the background
Why are apps that post unattractive photos so popular?
Many people may think, "I don't understand it at all."
I thought so too at first.
However, I believe that if you explore the background of this app, you will be able to understand the fraying and new trends of today's Internet society.
The keywords are "SNS fatigue" and "Instagram fatigue".
One bad reaction breaks my heart
"When I get a lot of comments and likes, I feel like I have a lot of value.
"
These are the children's words that were broadcast on ABC TV in the United States.
The broadcast featured the time when the former Facebook, IT giant Meta, was in flames over the development of an app "Instagram Kids" for people under the age of 13.
During the development of Meta, 32% of teenage girls said that when they were disgusted with their body shape, seeing photos of well-dressed people on Instagram made them feel even more disgusted. It was discovered that he had put together the
In 2021, a whistleblower woman's testimony revealed that development was continued despite knowing that it could have a negative impact on children's mental health, causing a big stir in 2021.
Experts familiar with SNS point out the following problems.
Dr. Pamela Rutledge
“While SNS has some positive aspects, such as relieving loneliness, people are generally tired of processing photos, etc. Instagram and TikTok, which originated in China, are perfect. , is meant to celebrate good looks. Even the nicest people will be disappointed in how they look compared to people with filters and lights from all directions."
Strategy that takes advantage of "fatigue"
“BeReal” has come up with a strategy to take advantage of such “SNS fatigue” and “beauty fatigue”.
This service was launched in 2020 by a French company, not an American company.
The founder is a person named Alexis Barreya who worked for GoPro of wearable cameras.
By the beginning of 2021, 500,000 people will have downloaded the game in France alone, and now they are focusing on spreading the game in the United States, hiring university students called ambassadors to spread the game at universities around the world.
As explained at the beginning, it is a rule to upload a photo within 2 minutes in principle when the photo cannot be processed like Instagram or when a notification is received from the app.
Since you can post only once a day, the risk of being immersed in SNS for a long time seems to be low compared to other SNS.
A note on the app says, "You can't be famous on BeReal. If you want to be an influencer, go to Tik Tok or Instagram."
It's easy without glitter!
who actually use
How do young people actually use BeReal?
We spoke with Lucas Garfond, 21, a junior at Brown University in Rhode Island.
After seeing a friend using it at a gathering, he downloaded the app around November 2021, and is now connected to more than 100 friends.
University student Lucas Garfond
"It's great that you don't have to look like an Instagram and upload a perfect photo. You can check what your friends were doing at the same moment on the same day, so everyone's really casual daily life can be seen. It's fun to glimpse."
Mr. Garfond's posts showed his unadorned daily life, from pictures of him having fun with his friends to the cluttered desk at home.
35 years old... I also tried it as a reporter
A thing is a trial, and isn't it classified as a young man anymore?
As a reporter, I also tried it for about two weeks.
After downloading the app, all you have to do is create a simple profile and wait for notifications.
▽ I was washing my shoes on the weekend of
Saturday, July 16th when I got a notification.
Me with no makeup and shoes and my veranda in this day's post...
▽ July 22nd (Friday)
I was on a ride-sharing Uber when I received a notification instructing me to take a picture.
▽On July 29th (Friday),
I received a notice during a street interview near the beach in Santa Monica.
Before you know it, you only have 34 seconds left!
I took a picture in a hurry.
Even though there is a beautiful beach nearby, I was rushed by the time limit of 2 minutes, so I only took pictures of people passing by in front of me.
It doesn't show up at all.
Posting delays are considered “imaging”
I noticed something when I tried it.
If you're not paying attention to your phone, you won't notice the notifications.
There were times when the response was delayed when I was at work or shopping.
Even if you can't post within 2 minutes from this app's notification, you can post later within the day.
However, if you are late, the number of minutes and hours you are late will be displayed, and your friends will find out.
University student Garfond says that realism is maintained by immediately disclosing posts that are suspected of waiting for a moment to shine.
It is said that it is also a point that it is a mechanism that you can not see your friend's post unless you post it.
University student Lucas Garfond
"If my friend posted five minutes late, I think it's just a little late and it's real, but it's funny when I see him posting eight or ten hours late. It can be inferred that they waited to post until the event happened.Because it is a mechanism that forces you to be real, I think that the content posted is more credible than other apps."
Building a profitable business model is the key
BeReal is attracting attention among young people, but there are also issues.
Since it's a new platform, it doesn't have a monetizable business model yet.
Social media giants such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter basically rely on Internet advertising as their main source of income.
In order to cover the management strategy of the management company, I applied for an interview with the headquarters of "BeReal" in France, but the interview was NG.
In the future, I'm full of feelings that I want to approach the real strategy, how to monetize it.
Experts say that if this company introduces online advertising, it will suddenly become difficult to differentiate itself from others, and there is a risk that users will lose interest, so what kind of business model is important. I was.
Dr. Pamela Rutledge:
“As soon as we introduce online advertising, there is a feeling that BeReal will cease to exist. There may be a way to make it a form like a subscription that pays the membership fee.”
Major SNS is at a crossroads
How can we capture the hearts and minds of users and increase the number of users?
Ote can't be bothered anymore.
We are repeating trial and error for further growth.
Want to be a tik tok?
Instagram has recently focused more on posting short videos, called reels, rather than photos.
In addition, we've piloted full-screen viewing of posts, similar to competing TikTok.
However, such "Tik Tok" was strongly opposed with posts by celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, who are famous on TV and the Internet, appealing to "Instagram again."
The company has decided to withdraw the trial introduction of full-screen display.
We are at a crossroads as to how to grow our business as Internet advertising revenue, which is easily affected by economic trends, is declining.
Tik Tok is a place of learning
Tik Tok, which has a strong image of uploading dance videos and song imitation videos, is also undergoing a major change.
Recently, a female trader who has worked at a financial institution has opened a channel to raise the level of financial knowledge among young people, such as how to use credit cards. , It is said that more and more people are using Tik Tok as a new place to learn, such as the popularity of channels that explain news in fields such as energy and technology in an easy-to-understand manner.
Is it a new trend in the Internet society?
Looking back at the history of SNS, one of the major developments is that Facebook launched services for the general public 16 years ago in 2006, and Twitter also launched services in the same year.
Instagram started its business in 2010, and LINE, which is familiar in Japan, started its business in 2011.
(all on a global basis).
While communication has become much more convenient, SNS, which used to be used only between really close friends, has become a place for self-appeal and publicity, and has changed from flaming, slander, and leakage of personal information to fakes. Until the news, various disadvantages have also emerged.
It must have been the 16 years that the desire to "look good", "want to be praised", or "not want to be beaten" in the world of the Internet became stronger.
The BeReal trend, which sometimes exposes an unsightly appearance, may be the cry of young people's hearts, at least to their close friends, "I want them to understand my true self. I want them to accept me as I am."
Dr. Rutledge, who is familiar with social media, said, "It's up to the user to decide how to use the app. It's good that new social media is trending and sparking debate about authenticity and authenticity." It left an impression on me.
We may be at the beginning of a new trend in SNS.
Los Angeles bureau reporter
Nana Yamada
Joined in 2009
Current position after working in the Nagasaki bureau, the economic department, the international department, etc.