BeReal – the app that will be anti-Instagram and TikTok, launches in the App Store – NRK Troms and Finnmark

It’s 12:31, and a notification appears on the mobile phone: “It’s BeReal time.”

After launching in 2020, the app is only now available be realistic It became a real phenomenon. In recent weeks, it has topped the app markets in Norway, the US, and the UK, to name a few.

Location wired He refers to it as “anti-Instagram”. Without filters and without the ability to post shiny photos of life’s best moments. BeReal wants you to show your “real life”.

But does it actually work in practice?

– More realistic than Instagram

Stella (15) and Elva (15) know BeReal well.

– It’s great that he shows things without a filter. But it’s also boring to take your own photo for others to see, says Ylva.

– On Instagram you can edit and fix everything. Stella explains that with this person, you show what you’re doing there and then after.

The app is specifically marketing itself as a kind of “anti-Instagram”. But is it actually a more realistic representation of everyday life?

– Yes, I certainly say so, answers Ylva.

– If you are at home, just send a photo while you are at home. Not while eating out or at a party or hanging out with friends.

However, girls believe that it also has some negative sides.

– You get notifications all the time other people post things and reactions to your posts and the like. She stressed me a little bit, Stella says.

I deleted the app again, and it says it’s missing more interaction.

– You cannot, for example, chat or call each other with BeReal, as you can with Snapchat or Instagram.

Girls say it’s nice to see every day, as confirmation that people actually do normal things most of the time. But everyday life can also get boring in the long run.

You will exclude influencers

in the description On the App Store, it was clearly announced: “BeReal will not make you famous. If you want to become an influencer, you should stay on Instagram and TikTok».

Mostly they say it to stand out, I think Media scientist and IT entrepreneur Ida Aalen.

– Social media is becoming more and more popular, stealing jobs from each other. She says this is an attempt to differentiate itself, perhaps to investors as much as it is to the public.

Because even though there are many users in BeReal, the owners hardly make any money from it. The app is free and ad-free – for now.

Keep track of

It is usual that when a new social medium emerges, people have lower shoulders, because there are not many other people, Allen explains.

– But as more and more people appear, you see that there is more self-censorship. The more people you see, the more aware you are of yourself. This is completely normal, she says.

Therefore, growing popularity may, paradoxically, be what is killing BeReal’s long-term popularity, Allen believes.

There is an unsolved problem for social media, because it needs to grow to bring in money and establish habits, but then people also start to self-censor.

As more and more people see what you share, the dynamic changes, the media expert explains. Maybe you don’t want your aunt or colleague to see what you’re doing right now?

met with criticism

BeReal wants to be a window into “real” everyday life. But the app has received a lot of criticism in recent weeks for not working as intended. At least if you ask the commentators in Washington PostAnd the Watchman or Atlantic Ocean.

Critics believe, among other things, that the application only helps to create a different image than, for example, Instagram. BeReal wants you to be like this A native as possible.

But the idea of ​​an “authentic self” is really the strangest thing, says Allen.

You use the word “authentic” as if there is a real version of you, and a fake one who thinks a little more about what you say and do. Is the relationship with your mother authentic because it is different from your relationship with your friends? , you ask.

What we say and how we act depends entirely on where we are and who we are.

You must have consent

Barnevakten believes it is important to be familiar with how to use the app.

– The way you use the app is what matters, as with all other social media. Being aware of what you’re sharing and who’s important, and that kids don’t use social media to establish direct contact with strangers, says professional leader Kellogg Tonheim Tonsen.

She says a situational app like BeReal presents some challenges when it comes to approval “because everything goes a little too quickly”.

– It’s about “Capture the Moment” within a short period of time which is randomly notified, you can take photos in both directions at the same time. According to the law, you must obtain consent from those in photos before sharing them.

This can be tricky when the app “decides” when to take a photo, and when everything needs to be done within two minutes, she believes.

Tonheim Tonnesen He says parents should talk to children and young adults about smart options and useful settings in the app. You can find their advice here: