Gen Z’s New Trend: Sharing Authentic Daily Life with the App “BeReal” | Release #58

“BeReal” is a social networking app that emerged in France in 2020 and has become a sensation among the younger generation known as Gen Z. The app’s defining feature is its ability to let users share an unfiltered, authentic snapshot of their daily life—no filters allowed, designed for sharing your unedited self.

Once you download the app, you’ll receive a notification at a random time once a day. When you open the notification, a two-minute timer starts, prompting you to capture a photo using both the front and rear cameras, allowing you to document yourself and your surroundings. By posting within two minutes, you gain access to view your friends’ posts.

An innovative feature that hadn’t existed before is the inclusion of a selfie in each photo. This function enables users to simultaneously share their unfiltered selves through the rear camera and the current scene captured by the front camera.

This commitment to simplicity fosters communication and sharing among users, forming new communities. By incorporating your face and expressions into the photo, you deepen your connection with others and bring a reassuring sense of reality to the often artificial world of social media.

By reading our magazine’s exploration of the meaning of selfies, you can further appreciate the thoughtful simplicity behind BeReal.

For Gen Z, who value authenticity over perfect images, “BeReal” offers a new stage for self-expression. The app frees users from the pressure of curating a “perfect image” and encourages them to be themselves.

While other platforms focus on sharing visually appealing images, videos, and edited content, “BeReal” finds value in sharing unedited, filter-free moments of daily life in real time. This approach aims to capture and share the reality of everyday moments, establishing a new trend in social media.

Behind the explosive growth of “BeReal” in just a few years since its launch lies the fatigue with the “perfect image” curated by social media. Gen Z, who spend more time on social media than other generations, are particularly sensitive and discerning about the information they consume, placing a premium on authenticity. They are skeptical of heavily edited or manipulated content. “BeReal” responds to these needs by emphasizing reality and spontaneity, capturing the hearts of young users.

Gen Z craves real, organic moments. “BeReal” points to a new direction for social media. By finding value in sharing raw moments rather than curated realities, it offers a new platform for self-expression to Gen Z and beyond. This simple yet profound approach has the potential to significantly reshape the future of social media. The current “BeReal” phenomenon can be seen as a direct response to the emerging needs of social media users.

cover image by yNAK