– You don’t have any time or opportunity to retouch, and then you know that most of the time it’s a bit real, says Dino Hukanović. He is talking about the app Bereal. In total, Bereal has been downloaded 20 million times globally, and right now it is on the top list of most popular apps in the Norwegian App Store. On a table along the Akerselva outside Elvebakken upper secondary school in Oslo, Dino sits with his friends Andrej Joka, Ingeborg Kick Rannem and Aleksej Obradović. SAFE: Dino, Andrej, Ingeborg and Aleksej think Bereal brings out the real in everyday life and the pictures are not as polished as on Instagram. Photo: Ine Julia Rojahn Schwebs / news The 18-year-olds scroll down in the feed. Bereal, which encourages users to share photos of unedited everyday life, has spread quickly among all the students at the school recently, they say. At a random time that varies from day to day, you get the following message on the screen: Photo: Screenshot. Then you have two minutes to post a picture. The function is set up so that both cameras take a picture with one click. You can only post one photo per day, and you won’t be able to see your friends’ content unless you post yourself. – It often happens in the canteen, where you suddenly see everyone taking pictures of each other. Then the feed is filled with the canteen from lots of different angles because everyone took a picture here and there, says Andrej Joka. SNAPSHOT: Andrej (right) and Aleksej show off today’s Bereal. Photo: Ine Julia Rojahn Schwebs / news Skumlere på Instagram The app therefore markets itself by “be real” – be real – and has established itself as a challenger to the polished glossy image you see on other social media, such as Instagram. – Instagram is in a way a bit scarier to use. You have more followers there and what you post stays there. But on Bereal it disappears the next day, says Ingeborg and continues: – On Instagram there is probably a slightly higher threshold for what you post. But at Bereal it is not so dangerous. And it’s kind of delicious. HOMEWORK: A picture Ingeborg posted on Bereal. Photo: Privat Slo rekord You can also post later than the notification appears, but then you often come across as a poser, the young people point out. – If you are clearly active on your phone and post a lot on Snapchat, but are seven hours late on Bereal when you are finally out with your friends, then it is a bit silly, says Andrej Joka. In June, the app set a record when it was downloaded 1.7 million times in just one week. Never before has an app been downloaded so many times in seven days. But is it here to stay? DON’T POSER: If you take too long to post, you can come across as a poser. Here Dino has posted, on time, from the canteen at Elvebakken. Photo: Dino Hukanović / Privat Surrounded by retouched bodies – I think at least that if Bereal stays the way it is today, I don’t think it’s a 24/7 fly, says Kamilla Steinnes Knutsen. She researches technology and sustainability at Oslomet and has a background in social psychology. – We are concerned with very realistic content these days. We are so surrounded by retouched bodies and all kinds of manipulated content. Knutsen says that Bereal is a kind of equivalent to Instagram, which in several rounds has been largely blamed for young people’s experience of pressure and stress. JUST FRIENDS: At Bereal it’s not that dangerous what you post, says Ingeborg. The threshold is lower for sharing when you only have friends as followers and the content disappears the next day. Photo: Ine Julia Rojahn Schwebs / news – Instagram has moved to larger revenue models and subsequent changes to its algorithm. This change leads to more users wanting a feed filled with friends and acquaintances, instead of advertising, sponsored content from influencers and unrealistic beauty and lifestyle ideals. Doubts about the long-term effect But professor Taina Bucher in media studies at the University of Oslo does not believe that Bereal has any great future. – It will be pure speculation, but I don’t really think that being encouraged to send snapshots of yourself on yet another platform is something that will be a big hit for a long time. REAL ENOUGH? Professor Bucher at the University of Oslo believes that Bereal only provides another opportunity to stage himself. Photo: Ine Julia Rojahn Schwebs / news Bucher also questions what the app actually means by being authentic. – It is a smart marketing strategy to encourage people to be genuine. Then one can question how authentic it really is. Some would argue that all forms of human representation are staging. Instagram on the way out But there are already registered signs that Bereal is a real contender. Last year it also emerged that Instagram is increasingly worried about not reaching young users. This was revealed in an internal report, which was first reported by the New York Times. And to reach the young, Instagram is trying to be more like the platforms young people are moving towards. Instagram recently received criticism for copying TikTok. Now Instagram is probably experimenting with a new function inspired by Bereal with a new function. They have called it Instagram Candid. ENOUGH PLATFORMS: It may be that people get tired of posting pictures on so many different platforms in the long run. Photo: Dino Hukanović / Privat The Candid feature is almost identical to the concept behind Bereal. – It is a sign that Bereal works and creates real market competition for the “big” platforms, says Knutsen at Oslomet and adds: – Instagram is really on its way out. We also see that in the statistics. Profitability has only fallen. lately, says Knutsen.
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This app broke a record – challenges Instagram – news Culture and entertainment
