the art of being real

In today's video, I talk about the art of being real, making Instagram casual (again), and the performative authenticity of BeReal.
~time stamps~
0:00 - intro
3:45 - my experience with BeReal
6:49 - the aesthetic of authenticity
11:02 - the poster's dilemma
13:43 - the future of online authenticity
~sources~
Q&A: Juergen Teller
www.dazeddigital.com/photogra...
The Criticism Of Juergen Teller's W Mag Shoot Misses The Point
www.highsnobiety.com/p/juerge...
BeReal Won't Save Us From Ourselves
i-d.vice.com/en/article/jgpmw...
~socials~
instagram: / amandapanda767
tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@amandapanda76... 6772018427601257478&tt_from=copy&source=h5_m
for business inquiries: [e-mail]

[@Tuvabaluba]

I've had a great experience with BeReal so far - mostly it has made me realize that me and my friends live equally boring lives, and I love that for us

[@umhello3733]

Same here + pretty much all the other users just chilling as well. I don’t see any kind of problem with this app, you can turn off you location and you’re good to go

[@jessicasbalchiero7048]

Same!

[@kayleighmcfarland8599]

Literally same LOL

[@jillm9165]

same except for my one friend who’s doing a semester abroad rn 😂 its funny seeing her life contrasted to everyone else i have on there

[@pinkestelle558]

Boring lives are the best tbh just chilling relaxing is fun

[@mac8124]

i tried to do bereal but i slowly started to feel insecure with majority of my days being me laying in bed and id see my friends going out or doing more fun things. i just got the same effect as any other social media but worse. i decided to delete my social media all together and i've never been happier and closer to my friends now. removing that pressure from my life and actually living in the moment can really make a difference.

[@stayquko8948]

Yep yep.. I hear ya

[@eeeyooohoh]

i feel like ppl do bereal in order to show off that they're still "authentically" having a social life

[@DogsandPennies]

For me it was the opposite lol. Made me realise that all my friends also don't go out every day, and that being in my house drawing or reading a book was nothing to be ashamed of

[@oliviao8523]

@@DogsandPennies that’s nice

[@isabelledovale9888]

I also deleted all my social media together and I'm SO MUCH HAPPIER, life is amazing

[@EBRyan-ri4tt]

I dont think people want authenticity, they want neutral makeup. They want to be curated enough that they dont hate they way they see themselves but not so curated that it looks staged or artificial to everyone else. Its a weird farce we're all playing with one another for a society that wants to be understood but not seen.

[@elizabethpottinger3668]

well said.

[@LoveAndSnapple]

This is absolutely it right here. This is all it is summed up in a perfect paragraph.

[@PGOuma]

THIS

[@trxpicaldreams9781]

So true

[@xfreja]

thisss

[@justinc.5591]

I don’t think you can make a completely “real” or “authentic” social media app. Social media is inherently manufactured in some way.

[@Chloeatrandom]

exactly, i feel the best way to be your most authentic self is to stay away from it.

[@dollydolldoll2]

exactly

[@RhythmAddictedState]

As long as people choose to post things with other people in mind, their social media platforms will never be authentic. The existence of a social media app isn't what stifles authenticity per se - it's how and why people use social media that shows how authentic people are on these apps.

[@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024]

Exactly!

[@mateoferretto2175]

It's not the apps that can be made real or authentic. That's on you as the user. Apps can try to nudge on the direction.

[@ava.catherine]

the way that companies always find a way to market everything to us baffles me. the idea that you need to buy and engage with this app to ‘be real’ is beyond ridiculous

[@Nanancay]

RIGHT some people I knew who intro'd me to the app ran off to get a good view of wherever they were so they could do 'be real' LOL - I was like is that even being real pls

[@fvckpink4206]

I mean you don't buy you just engage

[@kohakuhunter]

I don't understand... what are you buying? There's also no ads on the app so I don't feel like I'm being marketed anything

[@motherrussia73]

@@kohakuhunter It's not that you're buying anything tangible, it's that you are the product. BeReal is still a company, and that means they financially benefit from having more users and more engagement. It's shifting the commodification away from a product and directly onto the consumer themselves, not unlike most other social media.

[@fvckpink4206]

@@kohakuhunter exactly

[@sapphiredrops4405]

Also… can we talk about how BeReal basically captures you at the places you visit every week, so basically great material for being stalked…?

[@stayquko8948]

lol .. ukno what's funny stalkin is so easy nowadays, that ur just better off assumin it's happenin anyways

[@dorotheecc8986]

Yeah this is why I removed location and only post to my friends because the discovery feature scares the shit out of me

[@Nanancay]

I remember when snapchat put your geolocation up and I was like this....sounds like not a good idea LOL

[@sushiachan]

I only have close friends added bc why would u want people ur not close with

[@stella2761.6]

U can easily hide your location

[@paupowpow5037]

"as soon as you are posting to >10 people, it's a stage and not an authentic conversation anymore" wow, yes! 100% agree

[@laural4431]

I actually really like Be Real. I don’t have any other social media (except for youtube) and a few of my friends study out of town, so i like to see what they are doing in their daily lives. It makes me feel connected to them without the anxiety others social media apps cause me. We don’t take it too seriously, most of the times all of us take the picture late and if we don’t feel like it, we simply don’t. For me, it’s just a funny way to keep up with my friends

[@maddylim4108]

i agree! i've missed seeing my friends daily since finishing school/uni so its nice to get a peek into their daily lives. not taking it seriously is the key to enjoying the app and the same could be said for social media in general, especially if you can curate your experience (which we are admittedly losing control of with algorithms, etc). i feel like there is only pressure if you put it on yourself.

[@jits8767]

yeah same, there is just a lot less going on, and i dont really care what my friends think about the fact that im yet again crocheting on my couch. i would say snapchat's still better, but u dont have a feed there, and people dont feel inclined to share mundane moments as much anymore. plus there's this whole tab of gossip which just opening it makes me feel tired. other social media is the same, there is just too much going on.

[@luciekrajciova6339]

yeah same, I moved to another country and added my best friends on BeReal to keep in touch with them, as you say, in funny way. Of course we text and stuff, but I fell like BeReal adds another layer to it (I hope it´s understandable what I mean)

[@ebonih7138]

I have also enjoyed the fact that it shows people in a light completely different from what they would put on any other social media. You can really control your audience! There’s something so casual about the content that is just really hard to capture on any other social media app.

[@crs4130]

I’ve really been enjoying BeReal so far too! It has actually made me feel slightly less camera shy because I’m having to take pics everyday (not just of myself but of everything). I love seeing what my friends are doing, especially bc one of my friends was visiting family for a while and we weren’t able to connect often - I got to see what she was doing day to day!

[@khalilahd.]

The way you killed BeReal in 2 minutes is KILLING me 😭 it’s a great concept but it’s not something that can withstand time in my opinion

[@muscular-lr6er]

True but it's best to enjoy new apps at the moment. Vine became extinct and soon instagram or snap is not becoming popular anymore.

[@PGOuma]

@@muscular-lr6er if anything, Snap will disappear. Ig will keep thriving, especially since people can get paid on there

[@chrono4998]

@@PGOuma not if mark Zuckerberg does what he said he will and shut ig and fb down in the EU it won't.

[@fitnessen2860]

I see u under every comment on every video I watch I swear 😭

[@Ian8Abbie]

@nøc the 'real' is the meaning of no filter, no edits. you cant be fake on bereal, you cant edit pictures and only show the best moments on bereal and thats why its real

[@Amanda-xw3rp]

i never downloaded bereal just bc its seems so invasive and weirdly entitled to my life. i also think there’s something ironic about seeing people post their bereals to instagram

[@user-lh2oq2nb3r]

Right that’s why I didn’t get it, cause why do I HAVE to take a picture??

[@gowriv5279]

@@user-lh2oq2nb3r isn't that the whole point of the app?

[@6thdim]

@@user-lh2oq2nb3r I think it’s to stop lurking and drive engagement

[@user-lh2oq2nb3r]

@@6thdim good way to put it

[@wddrshns]

i downloaded it but quickly deleted it for the same reason. like, having to take pictures of myself/what i'm doing immediately whenever the app tells me just makes me uncomfortable

[@1er1s]

I mainly do BeReal for myself because I always wished I had pictures of myself to look back on like a lot of other people do, but I just never really took pictures, so I like how it gives me an incentive to do that. Capturing the parts of my day that are boring is nice because I know I’ll probably forget those in the future so it’s just a way I can remember all aspects of what my life used to be like, I already look back at the memories and I’ve only had it for 2 months 😭

[@arya-dl1ml]

me too !

[@IsabellaSOrtiz]

same! I have only had it for couple weeks but it is so nice to look at the memories, even if most are just random shit haha, I never take pictures so is nice to see what I have been doing

[@palaquium]

I do that with snapchat and just save everything in memories, i have an account with a made up name and 0 friends, it's my journal

[@lauracoyoy7166]

same! i have instagram and snapchat but i don’t like posting anything on there but i like taking pictures

[@ThatBlackSheepy]

I started using the 1 second every day app for that purpose and it's honestly been so nice!!

[@barbaramarina0]

people want social media to be fun again, but it became something so anxiety ridden and there's no way of going back. it's performative and it tricks your mind into constantly compare yourself, even unintentionally; I don't think it's ever going to be fun like it once was.

[@isagf4804]

Yeah, I agree

[@Ejazzz]

I found bereal fun at first but especially after I added people I wasn’t close friends with I started to dislike it and found that I had anxiety at times from it. I don’t like knowing what my friends are doing tbh. I’d rather we intentionally talk to each other rather than passively engage with each other through an app.

[@ChelyAmour]

This. You said it so perfectly. Question: what generation / age are you?? I’m asking bc I’m wondering how diff gens perceive social media now. I’m seeing Gen z really abhorring social media, which I appreciate for their desire for realness. I’m millennial and my Gen is still struggling to figure out how to get off it lol

[@dr.alphys]

THIS!!!!!

[@camaro8148]

I don't think the problem is the app, it's people. I have literally 4 friends on Be real I don't post very often just when i feel like it. I post the most random not important things and I love it. It's the only app i post on. People are so obssesed with being seen, looking cool, portraying a certain image ... That they use Be real in way that completly defeats the purpose of the app

[@loisgriffin8217]

i think while u make a great point on accountability, people's desires don't exist in a vacuum. as amanda mentioned, bereal also automatically recommends your account to people in your contacts, as well as friends of your friends. if someone adds you, and you deny their request, it might be seen as offensive. we're kind of pressured to make our lives more accessible, and we are rewarded in the form of attention through likes/views/etc.

[@camaro8148]

@@loisgriffin8217 Yeah I got some requests from people I am not close with and I just did not accept, people need to realise they don't owe others access to their private life. Unlike other apps Bereal is not tricking you into pursuing acceptance and popularity. You can react to posts but not like them you can't see the numbers of friends others have. The way people act on Bereal is very reflective of their own character and state of mind because its not built as an inherent popularity and acceptance contest like other apps are.

[@georginak5836]

same . the reason why I don’t care much ab how I look on bereal is cus i only follow close friends who i am comfortable with seeing a more private side of my life . u can’t just follow any person on bereal because otherwise u will feel insecure ab the way u come off to those u don’t know well

[@sapphiredrops4405]

Social media is what you make it - like if you want to be more authentic on social media, then be more authentic on social media. If you want to see less photoshop on Instagram, then don’t photoshop and don’t follow account which photoshop. Unfollow toxicity

[@Comenter0999]

YUUP

[@vs-ej1qc]

agreed

[@balsamicvinegar5631]

Soooooooo trueeeeeeeeeee… im tired of hearing people complain about photoshop on instagram when all you have to do is unfollow the people who do. Or better yet make another instagram account where you only follow memes and close friends and switch between the two so you dont feel shitty about yourself all the time.

[@vs-ej1qc]

@@balsamicvinegar5631 literally!!

[@MonicaLethbridge]

yes!!! even on Facebook I found myself adding less people who I didn't know and also I joined Facebook groups that I have an interest in. I think we add a lot of "pressure" on ourselves to appear a certain way on social media but for what? to impress people we barely talk to and will scroll by our posts anyways lol

[@paige6662]

I deleted bereal the day it went off when I was at the beach, and I retook the picture 7 times because I didn’t like the way my body looked in it. It was literally just instagram all over again. Also, I felt the same way when I started gaining more bereal friends! I was seeing into the lives of people I didn’t even want to see before.

[@anaochoa]

that's because you didn't use the app well you did not have to take a pic of your body, just the beach and your face you added people you were not interested in knowing about how is that the app problem?

[@safir2241]

girl you got issues that aint the app's fault

[@yoongleballz1065]

Yeah I wouldn’t really say that the app itself is made to make you feel that way like other social media platforms yk. I think since ur not used to not thinking about the way you look in a photo before you post (and it may shed light onto some insecurities which is okay we all have those lol) it makes the app harder to use for you. But the whole point of BeReal is to literally do just that- Be real! Just take the picture no matter what u look like bc who cares? I think what you need to do is take a break from social media in general and focus more on yourself and self love and what not. I mean idk you, we’re just strangers on the internet after all, but I think the moment you can do anything without caring how you look or what others think is when you’ve truly found freedom and self confidence. It’s a really great feeling that I think everyone should experience! Anyways, I didn’t mean to write a whole paragraph 💀 but I hope you don’t have to feel that way anymore soon

[@StimYuLus]

this was a great deep dive on authenticity and how its evolved on sms over the years- appreciated the mention of teller as well. it really makes u wonder if we’ll keep making new ways to “create” authenticity or we’ll just accept that being on a ‘platform’ naturally leads to performative attitudes

[@tylerwilliams7161]

Maybe I’m just over here going hard for the internet, but is the issue the platform or is it a social issue? Thinking bout be just being black and how performance was taught to me since day 1. Authenticity def won’t brought back by internet, but iono if physical reality will do it neither at this point

[@thelifesizedoll]

BINGO! Exactly what I said in my comment!

[@franticranter]

I will say that whilst it is certainly possible to make your BeReal "nicer" and less authentic, and some do, I have found that, at least so far, most people do use it fairly "authentically", and most people don't jazz it up too much. Like, if I'm just on the sofa doing nothing when my BeReal goes off, I don't feel weird about just doing my BeReal on the sofa like that, whereas I would feel weird just taking a picture of myself on the sofa and putting that on my Instagram story or anything like that. I also don't feel weird when my friends do the same (and a not insignificant proportion of my friends do so), whereas I would if they did that on their insta.

[@kayleighmcfarland8599]

I agree! My close friends and I are on Bereal, and most of us don't curate the time in which we post to make our Bereals look cool. It's become very casual, and I don't sense the pressure of faking authenticity. If im in my pjs sitting at my desk for three Bereals in a row...not a big deal to me🤷‍♀

[@JessaJayVlogs]

I definitely agree that people want that “effortless” feel in their creator’s posts right now. I think what we’re all actually craving is connection - and when people post relatable content, that feels easier to connect to. But I’ve got to say...there’s just something off about a bunch of people trying really hard to look like they’re not trying.

[@tamara10]

You're right it's only a question of time before Instagram copies the concert of be real and incorporates it in their app

[@gabydollo]

I had to delete BeReal and all my other social media apps because I felt like all of my friends had “better friends” and didn’t have time to spend with me. As soon as I stopped going on social media, I felt so much more secure in my friendships!

[@yagurlsai988]

"social media has democratised the notion of being a celebrity". omg that's the perfect way putting it into words! when Emma chamberlain was saying in her podcast about how she thinks there's a culture shift in main stream celebrities and how we perceive them, I think this is exactly what she meant. just observing celebrities like Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Bella Hadid (have to admit they're pretty much all in the same social circle since I can't think of any other "celebrities" lmao) its like they're purposefully trying to be more casual/relatable in the way they dress, present themselves etc.

[@yagurlsai988]

@@kine97 1000000% agree. I've decided to get of social media, esp instagram, for at least 30 days because of this. I'm a huge fan of being authentic/genuine on social media but lately I've felt the performative pressure of it to be "more authentic" which is stupid..I don't need to know what everyone else is doing 24/7 and as you said, I don't need to perform my life to strangers either. crazy how much social media can really mess with my brain lol.

[@georginak5836]

isn’t it so funny the power celebs have these days alongside this authenticity trend that they could post a pic of them brushing their teeth and get billions of likes simply bcus they are a celeb 😭. meanwhile when a person attempts to be that ‘authentic’ their post is not so successful .

[@willemdafriend2334]

i refused to download bereal because it felt like an invasion of my privacy tbh. no one needs to know exactly what i’m doing, where i am, what i look like etc. at any given moment of the day unless they are with me in the moment.

[@nathanc.1958]

love what you say about the infinite dilemma of taking/having a photo in the modern age. I'll go to a museum and take pictures of art I like, go to a park and take pictures of flowers. And then I feel an obligation to ~do~ something with them. To post them somewhere, to frame them the right way, to arrange them in a particular format to project a certain aesthetic, to caption it something that demonstrates a mood or sentiment. I don't just enjoy having the picture, enjoying the memory. It doesn't feel real unless other people see it and comment on it as evidence that it's real.

[@interditado]

so true! and i totally relate with that

[@georginak5836]

yes . this obsession recently with posting photo dumps. means that people feel more obliged to take lots of pictures and post them to show all the things they have been doing that month for example. they will compile these images to make their life seem more fun and exciting than it is, making it seem like this is the norm when it isnt

[@2120musiclover]

I like BeReal. I post late all the time. I like that most of the people just post their everyday lives. I’ve yet to see anyone doing the Instagram thing of people only taking pics during fun things. It’s usually people taking pics at their desk or eating or other everyday things. I dig it.

[@madameblabla98]

giving us what we need in these fake times 😩

[@UXDA_Official]

Hey fellow Aisha 😄

[@shineinstars]

ik someone named Aisha too :00

[@greendoritoman2464]

I love these video essays because of how nuanced and deep they are and how far they're willing to go to explore certain subjects but they also make everything feel weirdly dystopian in a way. Like I'm genuinely a little gloomier after watching this because it's an incredibly well made argument as to why true online authenticity is impossible and large tech companies are willing to coopt certain aesthetics and human relationships for profit. It's a really depressing feeling that I get whenever I watch one of these essays not because they're bad, quite the opposite, but because they show that *everything* can be problematic and linked to incredibly unjust and exploitative movements and social systems. That's not to say that video essay channels like this can be positive or uplifting at times, it's just they push me into the doomer mindset quite a lot. 10/10 would send to my BeReal using cousin

[@sapphiredrops4405]

Sally Rooney definitely has a part to play in the authenticity aesthetic - the no quotation marks, normal daily conversations, in the tv series the filming style and actors look like average people and dress like average people.

[@samantharose1001]

I think, though I’m not 100%, that Irish authors often write without quotation marks? But that’s interesting about the tv adaptations! I hadn’t thought of that

[@camaro8148]

That's just UK shows and other european shows people are just average, don't know why the US is obsessed with everyone looking like models

[@emilyr8668]

@@samantharose1001 i was going to say maybe we should start blaming Joyce for “authenticity aesthetic” too 😂😂

[@visitingstatue171]

@@camaro8148 exactly. US shows tend to look too glossy and overly perfect

[@queenalchemist3601]

@@emilyr8668 LMAOO that made me crack up

[@adannaakujinwa5728]

Attempting to 'be real' or to be authentic is an oxymoron, once you try to be something you're not or convey any image even if that image is that you are being genuine, you lose all authenticity. There is no current social media platform that could portray an authentic insight into someones day or life because in my opinion once you know a picture is being taken, that moment loses that in the moment feel (aka authenticity). This also applies to apps where you mostly write things like twitter. You can't misspeak when you write something, you get to fix your spelling errors and consider what people will think of your post. You are being made aware of your existence so you become self-conscious, not necessarily in a bad way, but you become hyperaware of how you could be portrayed in that moment. So you may fix your hair, change your posture or search for a synonym of 'spelling mistakes' but all those little fixes alter that picture or post to something so artificial. The realness in life and in people are those quirks that you tend to hide when you know you're on camera. The only time i feel genuine authenticity through pictures is when the subject had no idea that the picture was being taken.

[@chiaraliane]

Ughhhh THIS. Relate in terms of whenever I share my writing (I know it’s edited to the point of perfected authenticity but what to do 🤷‍♀️)

[@georginak5836]

yes the process of taking a picture in itself is inauthentic because a picture is a mirror image of the moment but not the moment'in its real life form .

[@fionakida]

This video hits the nail in the coffin - I was so excited and in love with BeReal when I had my 6-10 closest friends only on it - as soon as friends outside that circle started requesting and expecting content I immediately stopped using the app🙃 alas, if they make a close friends feature I’d be interested to get back on!

[@olukoya44]

then isn't it basically just snapchat?

[@mauve9266]

Perhaps I’m in a minority when I say that I think authenticity/relatability is kind of overrated. It’s not that I want people to be actively inauthentic and lie, it’s just not something that I find especially important in the people I follow online. Even when you are being ‘authentic’ there’s always going to be the performance aspect to it if you’re doing so online so idk that that should be villanized and I think it’d be better if we put less emphasis on the importance of ‘authenticity’ in this sense but that brings a whole host of other problems when on social media- it’s a fine line to be walked. I will say tho that I don’t think another app is going to be the answer to this problem 😅

[@eeeyooohoh]

exactly! like does anyone need to see me sitting on the couch with piles of unfolded laundry in order to convince people im being "Authentic"? everyone kinda knows at this point that social media is where you're posting the fun times of your life not the most mundane.

[@hanakoskokeshidoll]

mhm

[@Laura-gd4ku]

Yes so true. What even is authenticity? Like yes I show different versions of myself depending on the situation I am in. I am always a bit diffrent when I am with my parents or with my friends or when I am at my workplace, because I fullfill different roles in these situations. So in what of these situations am I really authentic? I personally believe we can never be fully ourselves when we are in company because living in a society requieres us to take up social roles and norms that have effect on our authenticity. And so this whole authentic instagram is just another sytle, another astetic that is currently the social norm (or atleast it is rewared in society) and so we follow, so what is really authentic here? Maybe the filter instagram baddie is more authentic because they stick to their style regardless of the trend? Idk.

[@vs-ej1qc]

i agree, like i will obviously curate what i post on my main account because i like to have a nice looking insta account, that doesn’t mean i’m a less authentic person. i wont post a photo where i look bad just for the purpose of being perceived as authentic because that is just as unauthentic as to post a photoshopped photo. i personally try to enjoy the apps for what good they can offer and don’t really make it a case whether someone is authentic or not

[@miminaomi9844]

aren't we always performing to some degree, fake a smile at your colleague who just made an unfunny joke out of politeness, stare out of the window in public transportation like youre in a movies secretly hoping someone think youre cool/pretty, etc etc

[@smol_pluto]

Stop- I thought the BeReal sound effect of the notification at the start was my phone 💀

[@theklr]

🙏🏽 I’m “too old” for these apps at this point and only signup for username squatting rights. I’m tired of being told “we’re different” only to scale to mimic everyone else. Plus, I’ve worked as a developer with too many of these APIs and the amount of data I get from y’all… we really don’t need everyone to learn how to code

[@MegaJohnnycage]

I don't even care about this topic at all, but your writing is so good that I am glued to this.

[@elisazouza]

I’ve learnt that it actually leads me to being less authentic 😭 and even my boyfriend was panicking about how he looked to other people on be real 😊 and I do appreciate seeing celebrities on it though! And I realised that too that most people just add people that they aren’t actually close friends and you just accept because you know them but you don’t!

[@fragmentation7052]

I’m really glad you posted this now, my friends told me to download the app but I don’t want to and I’m going to see them today, but this is an affirmation that I really don’t need another social media app in my life

[@Saltypotatoes449]

As someone in their late 20s who really grew up when social media was first becoming a thing, I’ve always found that I was never that savvy with social media apps. I’ve never had a lot of followers, I’ve never had a lot of likes, and so now I feel that I don’t really like to partake in social media, though I feel immense pressure to. I went through a phase of my life where I deleted all of my social media accounts and I’ve slowly added some back here in there and will delete frequently. I wonder how much of that is due in part to the fact that I’ve never been popular online. I also long for the days of chat rooms and the time when social media was really about getting to meet people and talk to people openly and sometimes anonymously.

[@isabelrzy6405]

i thought i was the only one who found a problem with BeReal because every single one of my friends are obsessed with it. I only had like 6 followers but i still felt the only real part of BeReal is the pressure. while i think it's better that you cannot add filters or edit your images, it's basically the exact same as any other social. most of my friends agreed that they chose when they did it! i think its also toxic because 1 photo does NOT represent your entire day, only a fraction. what a wonderful video you made, thank you!

[@PGOuma]

Right, I honestly don't see the hype with it

[@nylabas3208]

I think the premise of the critique on BeReal here is that it is assumed that BeReal claims full authenticity. However, apart from social media itself, the question that remains is: is anything ever authentic when it is captured by camera? Photography itself is a medium that communicates instead of simply representing (I read an interesting article about this: "Aesthetic Consumerism and the Violence of Photography"). I think we can never assume that any medium actually represents authentic real life. If we adjust the premise accordingly, and view BeReal as an app that seeks to share a more authentic (not fully authentic) representation of peoples lives, the claim holds true. I think it is additionally important to differentiate between how users use the app and how it is to be used: curating a BeReal is not cause of the app itself in my opinion. If we let go of the idea that it is somehow possible to capture our entire raw lives and share it with others in any sort of medial form, BeReal becomes an app that simply allows you to share a small piece of your day. It's not the end all be all, but by providing a platform for sharing something you do daily that isn't necessarily interesting, I feel it does challenge the trope of other social media platforms. I think it's a good approach.

[@memes_4253]

I've only used be real with my closest friends, and from my experience I've found more confidence in myself when I'm able to show what I actually do in my free time, instead of an idealized version of myself, and can relate to my friends better, being able to see that they, too have woken up at 11 AM on a Saturday, or just seeing them watching something on TV, it makes me feel closer with my friends.

[@claudiang603]

this is the first video i’ve watched of her and she’s so eloquent in communicating her ideas!!!! literally subscribing after one video

[@serenity6831]

Great video! The very concept of making someone stop what they're doing in the present moment to perform authenticity is laughably ironic

[@wendys_lemonade2459]

I really appreciate this video. I never wanted to acknowledge it, but posting on instagram has stressed me out so much sometimes. you feel like you have to make others see you in a specific light, which is scary. it doesn't make posting on anything fun, it makes it feel like a chore. I think there needs to be less pressure to let others know how "real" we are. the only social media I really post on is instagram, and... i dont know, this is kind of a relieving video. thank you for this, amanda. I hope you have a nice day.

[@julia-7520]

as someone who struggles w depression and motivation to do pretty much anything, I feel like bereal has actually motivated me to do more in my lifer that may be outside my comfort zone. even on those days where im just sitting at home doing nothing, I think it motivates me to put on a cute outfit and do my hair/makeup just so that I can look presentable lol

[@georginak5836]

same here . bereal gives me the motivation to do more active things in my life because of the chance I could get a more interesting photo out of it . like I chose to go on a walk recently and make pancakes today which btw I never eat breakfast most days . so it def subconsciously pushes me to do more when I am being lazy and immobile in life

[@pensivelyrebelling]

Gen Xer here (xennial) and marketer. This is just so, so good. I do want to push back (only a little) on the idea that the only authenticity is divesting. I could be wrong in this for sure, because I can definitely see where you’re coming from with that. And it sure is a tempting way to assert myself these days. I wonder, though, if the intent and goals matter. For example, I have my own business and I share content all the time. As marketers, we always preach goals and measurement and I think that’s created a culture online that’s about attention seeking and platform building. Yet I do see creators who have enormous platforms and they go entirely against the grain. Not usually for businesses (though I’m trying for myself) but creators who just put out solid content, never talk follower numbers or revenue, don’t follow strict timelines for posting new content, and never mention demonetization. They’re in it for putting something out into the world that they’re interested in and might interest others. This isn’t to knock anyone who does look at those things because if your goals require paying attention, of course you should. I think not paying attention and doing it because it’s an interest can be very authentic. It’s just too bad that the marketing side of things has become the main use of social rather than genuine connection. I love my work, but I’m not blind to how marketing is impacting things for the worse. That intro was chef’s kiss perfection to a really thought provoking essay. Thank you for doing this!

[@caseycheng1402]

Ahhh thank you for putting everything I’ve ever nebulously thought about bereal into such eloquent words!! Thoroughly enjoyed this deep dive and learning about Juergen teller 🤩🥳

[@rhy8336]

I was contemplating downloading ‘another video posting app’ last month. It looks genuinely fun although I can’t not feel the dissonance of the app. I love the point of the W mag photos because authenticity is ‘trending’ but we still ripped the photos apart. Maybe we just need less apps and more hang outs:) Love that dress very cute, great vid as usual.

[@bryanna9458]

It was fun when it was just me and my close friends bc i could literally post whatever and not feel self conscious. Pic in the shower? don’t care it’s just my friends! but once i started adding more people i wasn’t close with , i started retaking shots, getting the best angle, etc. it wasn’t rly REAL anymore

[@siimsimmy]

i actually learned a lot about be real from this, i had no idea it was timed- but the “authenticity” of what’s online is a really interesting things. especially, the concept of apps trying to “recreate” it when you’d imagine it would be an easy thing to achieve. but now it’s like we have to create authenticity, because inauthenticity is so much more the norm

[@georginak5836]

yes but ironically to have to create or force ourselves to be authentic we are being inherently inauthentic in doing so. authenticity should just be we should not have to strive to pursue it

[@nicolephillips2084]

i really like going through my bereals in the calendar, that’s why i never feel bad about posting late. i love my own bereal most

[@darjeelinngg]

Your writing is so consistently good, by halfway through the video I always have an eye-opening moment where I make connections between what you're talking about. Thanks for the fantastic analysis

[@amandamaryanna]

thank you! :)

[@francescacresta6384]

What you said about the number of people transforming something authentic into a stage is soo real (lol). I started adding people as the app popularized and immediately realized I didn't feel as comfortable sharing my honest self with all those people. I deleted a lot of friends and are now back to a smaller circle that I know I ca trust (and that I know are not afraid to be real) and really love seeing what they are up to

[@emmgee3104]

Wow that revelation about the audience threshold number marking the distinction between conversation and performing is very insightful, awesome job!

[@paulanicole4786]

i didn't know the term performative authenticity existed but it is the exact reason i feel uncomfortable on social media these days. thank you so much for making this fantastic video and sharing your knowledge with me :)

[@anoutinabil]

Such a factual and high-quality take - the work you put into the video's clear and the way you weave in storytelling + quotes is on point! I like your conclusion - I feel like a healthy dose of social media can be positive as long as we (creators + audience) are aware that it's performative/curated. Because it is an art. Much easier said than done though...

[@Sarahyahbuddy]

Love this video - been feeling weird about be real lately. Like it started as everyone looking bad and now everyone tries so hard to look like they’re doing something more fun then they really are and try to look cute which defeats the purpose of the app. I’m already over. also This is random but you are so pretty! 💕 Love your eyeliner (:

[@sof444]

I like be real because I don't take it seriously. My favorite thing about it is that i keep track of what I am doing in my life,i am a person who doesn't like taking photos and without the app reminder I wouldn't even try to see the beauty of small things. I do it only for myself so i can the view those memories again. And seeing what my friends are up to is really fun

[@sapphic.flower]

This is the first I heard of BeReal but it doesn’t sound very good as a concept tbh 😅 I honestly don’t care about other people’s lives enough to see them take a mundane photo of whatever they’re doing every day??? And it sounds tedious to do that yourself, especially since there’s a time you’re supposed to take the photo. It just sounds like a chore then. I get the idea behind it but I probably just don’t use social media in a way where an app like that would appeal to me. I use it to share and look at art and events rather than to document and portray my lifestyle for others.

[@suzy9323]

I find, because the only social media i have is snapchat and bereal, and i have probably the same 5-6 people on both, they feel very authentic to me? Like I think the issue with authenticity is directly related to who you have on your social medias, not specifically the social media itself. But I think it's always up to you to decide if you are using it in a way that feels healthy/confidence or connection building, as opposed to trying to build a brand or aesthetic. Because usually, the less authentically you are sharing, the more energy and effort you have to exert to maintain it, and that is just not sustainable, regardless of the platform. Having said all that, great analysis amd definitely some interesting points!

[@omgsicle]

this video is so insightful and your wording is so succinct and articulate. thank you for bringing Teller to my attention as well, his works look iconic and refreshing

[@omgsicle]

also ur so pretty and i luv that yellow chair chillin in the background 😂

[@thatpitter]

Just ran across your channel, love it. Thoughtful, genuine, and not afraid to provide your opinion. Love the examples given too! Great job!

[@mytayla]

You are too good!! omg that intro😭

[@enterroom23]

Hearing your thoughts is always so refreshing. Everything is always presented so eloquently and constantly leaves room for so much thought. Which I absolutely love. I always leave your videos with your points in mind helping me inform my own. Always look forward to your thoughts and videos 🥺👉👈

[@noahdacosta_]

This is fast becoming one of my favourite youtube channels

[@amiezwag]

LOVE these reflections on our culture!! And the way you express them

[@thefuckisgoingon]

I used to envy those instagramers who just posted "random" stuff, seemingly not caring about what others thought. They seemed incredibly spontaneous and confident because they create the illusion that they can post anything and be cute and exciting. Meanwhile I would then overthink how I'm not doing these spur-of-the-moment things with my friends and how I would never be confident enough to just post random photos of myself in weird angles. Of course, these people probably spent ages trying to get perfect "unedited" and spontaneous photos while they should have just been enjoying themselves with friends. This video was a great reminder to finally delete BeReal, which sort of gives me a similar feeling as those instagram accounts. I was out with friends and they were literally trying to get the perfect bereal for half an hour-that's literally the opposite of the app's message smh

[@catie7466]

yes! this is exactly how i felt when the "popular" people from my town shifted to photo dump type of content. at first i was stressing that i dont have enough random photos to match the aesthetic and felt like i must not be as spontaneous as them. but it became clear that a lot of thought is still put into their posts and in real life they're a little too obsessed with capturing moments. im 22 and feel like im officially not in with what's happening and im okay with it. i've been using instagram the same way for years. when a special event happens (graduation, wedding, vacation, etc) and it's an appropriate setting to ask people to take pictures with me, i'll do it and post the ones i look best in. i don't care if that makes me seem fake or not in with the trends. i don't want to interrupt my daily life with friends and family by trying to catch a perfect messy aesthetic photo of us. sometimes i do happen to capture nice, authentic moments and so i make a compilation of all those at the end of every year just for myself to keep. i don't need a daily app for it though. it's too much pressure and ruins it.

[@madh2562]

This thread is ✨perfection✨ couldn’t have said it better

[@margaux846]

dang amanda is on top of the game with this

[@ibewilde]

Your voice is so calming and relaxing, subscribed 💕

[@remrem3726]

I've literally been having these thoughts bouncing around in my head for the past few months and I couldn't word it nor had the platform to share, ty

[@libsyates2426]

I only found out about this a couple days ago when one of my friends grabbed it and asked if I wanted to be in it. I never downloaded it because of all the reasons you stated in the video, and this video made me feel better about it tbh. It's so easy to want to hope on the bandwagon when it's such a small, simple thing, but you never know how it'll make you feel. Based on these comments, the two reactions are "I realized my friends and I are similar" and "I got insecure and deleted everything". So, yeah, trying BeReal will probably be good for everyone in different ways. And don't feel pressured if you dislike the idea.

[@Katherout]

such excellent composition of your points miss amanda…

[@amandamaryanna]

thanks bb

[@zootzkii]

stop i litterally got my bereal notif the second you got yours at the start of the vid

[@BeautyInAllPlaces]

Great vid Amanda, I love your new setup 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾❤

[@astro.avesta]

I am definitely going after your "after 10 people it becomes a performance" rule from now on.

[@JohnHill]

The metas are pretty difficult to follow at this point. Can I just hate everything?

[@marcelacharles7422]

I’ve had BeReal since April and I really like it because I get to get a glimpse of a moment of what I was doing everyday for the year. I turned off my location, I’m private & I only have close friends on there, and I never use the discovery feature. I can see the ways it can be harmful but it’s also a fun app if you engage with it on your own terms! I only use it like 5 minutes a day, taking the photo & seeing/reacting to other friends & seeing what they’re doing. It’s also a good conversation starter when you see your friend in person

[@italiano4296]

I actually like be real, i can see my friends in random moments, i like that the ‘likes’ are pictures of you reacting to the picture, most people post on instagram (for example) their best moments but on be real i see what they’re doing in the moment, for example, my cousin who lives in a different country posted a be real of her reading the Get Out screenplay and we started up a convo about it.

[@peach_levell]

OMG, Those Juergen Teller photos are amazing, i love them

[@ruriva4931]

I feel like persona’s are also a real part of yourself, problems start cropping up when you believe persona is everything. When it comes to identity I very much subscribe to the you are what you do type of mentality. When you look at the online personas of there on Instagram there’s often a feeling that you can’t do the same thing. Crating and seeing easily attainable persona’s on a social media app like Be Real is a lot gentler on people who subconsciously believe that persona is the whole or a more significant part of the picture than it really is.

[@blache24]

Thank you for this! Honestly, the instant I heard about the premise of this app I had a feeling it would turn into a competition of who has the most "fun" life, kind of like how Instagram is but even worse.

[@PogieJoe]

Love the tie into Juergen Teller. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@ganarygirl4557]

I use it to stay in contact with my friends, since we are currently in different parts of the world. It daily reminds you to post, and we see each others day to day. We dont shame each other when we are just in bed or something, and still comment it positivly

[@TheSayyestothedress]

Truly an incredible analysis. Thank you.

[@jadesfromjupiter7780]

your self-awareness is so god damn refreshing.

[@sadeiofficial]

Aloha 🤙🏾 there! LOVE this video! Sooo many great little gems 💎 here.. thank you! Also, your shirt.. the plant 🌱.. the background.. aesthetically it just looks so serene and pretty! Greetings from Hawai’i 🧘🏽‍♀️✨🌼

[@Guyonabench]

Hello, I'm a first-timer. You have some really good points and present them very well^^ I really enjoyed the video and your takes on BeReal and social media as a whole. Gotta be real

[@fourthgrace1803]

I’ve never used BeReal, but I’d love to see a version where it notifies you to take a picture once a day at a random time of day, and you only have two minutes to take one shot and automatically posts.

[@loegunn]

so well said. the first time I heard of bereal I was already skeptical. glad there's such a well explained video out there!!

[@schemarr]

The reason I deleted BeReal was because I couldn’t stop thinking about it!! Every time I was doing something fun or cool I would think “is the notification there???” and check my phone over and over. It really took me out of the moment. Even now with the app deleted I still get that drop in my stomach when I’m doing something like “I have to capture this right now.” For me, BeReal managed to keep me out of the moments of my life.

[@dancer8541]

Loved the scholarly set up of this, your voice is so soothing and i could watch you for hours. Great topic, new subscriber here!

[@ricardoleon9185]

So impressed by how articulate and persuasive these arguments are.

[@user-bu1sb9mt4u]

You ever watch a video and get that deja vu of, yeah, this quality and clear effort reminds me of the other smallish KZbinrs I used to watch, the ones that are big now? I'm not verbalizing it correctly, but watching this reminds me of Mina Lee and D'Angelo- clear potential. Can't wait to watch more!!

[@ibrahimkamityoutube]

Loveee your take on this!

[@amandamaryanna]

thank you!

[@cr8zgal435]

I love your thoughts about this app! I've never gotten it and was thinking about getting it because all my friends liked it but it never stuck out to me. I took a break from social media for a while and because of that break, I don't care as much as I used to about Instagram, Snapchat, or "be real." To be real, it was tempting to get this app that's why I'm glad I discovered this video to remind myself that I don't need another social media app. Love your thoughts❤

[@ObservingtheMatrix]

Saving for later. Can’t wait to watch this!

[@aneetah.b.robert5042]

lmao why did this video literally give me like 3 different case studies for my university thesis (on design, authenticity and connectivity) I'm currently working on. Thanks for that!

[@nan9180]

That was a very interesting and informative, especially considering I've never heard about this app before. You're also gorgeous and your hair thingies are mesmerizing. Subscribed!

[@brittanybelo1361]

I completely agree I was using bereal for a while and I did like it a lot especially since a lot of my friends don’t live in the same country as me … but as soon as random people / people I’m not as close to started adding me on the app I deleted the it because I found it so strange and could tell it was heading in the direction of fake authenticity … I feel like the point was defeated.

[@VirtualTurtleGames]

Good video! I'd never heard of BeReal, and (aside from Twitter and KZbin) don't really use social media platforms. When I was doing a spontaneous roadtrip with a friend, and we were going on a sunset hike, her phone suddenly went off and she told me about this app BeReal on which she had to post a picture of that moment. That was my first interaction with it, and it just felt weird to be in such a cool moment, but then to have to capture it for the world to see it. I didn't understand it at all. This was a very cool, private moment - and now the world had to see it? It just felt like it made the moment LESS authentic, rather than more. Just my two cents.

[@priorsproductions2426]

I love the new generation of youtube commentary videos sm