It’s 12:53 p.m. Nina is eating. Suddenly a notification appears on his phone: “It’s time for BeReal. » She has two minutes to take a photo of her meal and show how cool her life is. 23 million people receive this notification simultaneously every day, according to the company’s latest statements to the American media TechCrunch. This is the concept of the French application launched in 2020. By asking for a photo unexpectedly, it hopes to “counter the negative effects of social networks on our mental health and focus on real connections with our loved ones”, boasts Romain Salzmann, director of operations of the social network. On BeReal, there is also no scrolling or public feed, users’ photos are only visible to the contacts they have accepted.
A concept that has found its audience. Jérémie, for example, has used it almost every day for two years, and he plays the game. “It has become a reflex,” he explains. If I see the notice, I take what I’m doing. Often these are photos of my computer screen at work. » According to Romain Salzmann, generation Z represents 80% of BeReal users. But that doesn’t stop the application from reaching everyone. “It was my 23-year-old daughter who pushed me to go,” confides Gilles, 51. And actually I don’t have any friends my age on this network! I was on Insta at the time when people were still taking photos of themselves, and that’s what I find in BeReal. »
“Authenticity is not sustainable in the long term”
BeReal also wants to play against the captivating algorithms of other social networks. “It’s less addictive,” agrees Jérémie. Once you’ve checked the photos of your 20 or 30 friends, there’s no point in staying on the app. »
“ “BeReal is a bit like what Snapchat was ten years ago. The difference is in social positioning and style. From my observations, Snapchat is a very popular network, in the sociological sense. It’s almost a stigma for middle and upper CSPs. » »
Has the French application replaced the dictatorship of the image with another? This system brings a “I don’t need a filter to show that my life is interesting” aspect. And several people interviewed admit to cheating a little to circumvent the system. “We make people believe that we are taking the present moment, but the challenge of authenticity was not tenable in the long term. If it is desirable: staging does not necessarily mean lying or manipulative,” analyzes Anne Cordier, teacher-researcher in information and communication sciences, specialist in the digital practices of young people. First renunciation: Late BeReal, an option to post your photo after notification, with a note indicating this to your contacts.
Towards an influence like BeReal?
The fact remains that, four years after its launch, the application is experiencing a return of hype. “It’s a fairly classic return to fashion with this type of innovation. There is a phase of commitment, then a trivialization, continues the teacher. Afterwards, in view of other innovations or current events, this may evolve. All news around TikTok recently leads us to take another look at the alternatives. » This new popularity is not unrelated to the launch of the application in the United States in 2022, where it had for a time climbed to the top of downloads on iPhone. “The strategy is to attract major stars, like Taylor Swift,” describes Stéphanie Laporte. Like when Justin Bieber arrived on Twitter. » “Japan is one of our fastest growing countries, and a large number of our users live in the United States, France, Japan or Germany,” explains Romain Salzmann.
BeReal needs new markets. The application does not offer paid downloads, advertising, or subscriptions, and currently relies on fundraising. According to The echoesthe social network notably raised 80 million dollars in May 2022, and was valued, that year, at 600 million euros.
This could soon change with the gradual rollout of BeReal People and BeReal Brand, although Romain Salzmann says these features, which feature celebrities or brands, are not monetization channels for now. “We could imagine an influence like BeReal, with exclusive content as we see on the new Insta features or on Onlyfans,” nevertheless envisages the co-founder of the Otta agency. Brands are still not very interested, already because of the generational gap. Then there is a side that is almost too close to the user, who can ask questions about branding or security. » People still need to be interested. “I have doubts about the penetration capacity of users,” replies Anne Cordier. Instagram is stronger in this regard, with an assumed staging and a community aspect. The fact that in France, the figure who wears this is Gabriel Attal (read box), it’s not very bankable! » “I don’t necessarily want to know what they do with their day,” confirms Jérémie. From the moment it becomes a com thing, it loses its interest. »
A fragile social network?
Difficult for BeReal to reinvent the wheel. Users are resistant to change, as evidenced by initial protests at the introduction of Late. And above all, nothing prevents other networks from copying its functionalities. By introducing its Spaces, Twitter, for example, touched Clubhouse in full rise. TikTok already tried to copy the concept of unannounced photos in 2022, but the functionality disappeared due to a lack of users. “There was too big a gap between the main use (watching videos) and the fact of posting content yourself, and surely a lack of communication,” judges Stéphanie Laporte. Will an equivalent feature on Instagram spell the end of BeReal? In the meantime, we will continue to take sad photos of our subway journey.