“Authentic” Social Media

In 2020, the app “Bereal” was launched. Its premise was simple: Be. Real. Unlike other social media platforms that encourage their users to glamorize, sanitize, and romanticize every aspect of their lives, Bereal aimed for authenticity. Every day at a random time, the app would prompt its user to take a photo showing where they are and what they are doing. The hope and promise of BeReal was to dispel the need for polished facades that other social media platforms incline their users to create.

BeReal exploded in popularity, particularly among young people and students who wanted to escape from “social media fatigue.” The novelty of participating in something new that went against the grain of traditional social media was exciting.

And did it work…kind of?

Keeping it Real

BeReal is fascinating because it gets closer to one of the primary drives of social media than almost any other platform: the pursuit of authenticity in an inherently performative landscape. Nathalie Béchet calls this “The social media authenticity movement,” reflecting that as social media becomes more intertwined with day-to-day life, people become more cynical towards it and crave experiences that, at least in appearance, aren’t manufactured.

Want to know who to blame for this? Check out Wisecrack’s video on how reality TV ruined everything.

When BeReal arrived, it felt like a breath of fresh air and looked like it would be able to solve many of the prevailing issues that cause us to limit what we choose to express online. But how was a social media going to end all the problems of social media? And it turns out that being real and going viral don’t exactly go hand in hand.

Real or Reels?

While BeReal encourages you to post within the two-minute window, you can post minutes or even hours after receiving the pop-up.

Ironically, to see all the “realness” on the app, you yourself have to post. If you don’t you’re locked out, producing a threat of FOMO and stronger incentive to post regardless of mental or physical well being then any other social media.

Last but certainly not least, being real Is kind of boring. Shortly after BeReal came out, some users started to compile their “reals” and post them on other social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. But rarely are these “reals” of people working their 9 to 5 jobs or binging the same Netflix show. No, the interesting people on other social media live “real” interesting lives, and so obviously their “reals” have to reflect this.

R. E. Hawley put’s it perfectly in their piece for the New York Times “Users may not be able to whiten their teeth or adjust the saturation in their posts, but they can still stage their pictures against their apartments’ nicest wall, or push piles of dirty laundry out of view. The difference between BeReal and the social-media giants isn’t the former’s relationship to truth but the size and scale of its deceptions.”

So while BeReal strives to go against the grain of social media, it can’t escape the fact that it is itself a social media platform and perpetuates many of the same performative practices. But does it’s attempt represent a more positive direction for social media in general?

Do you think there could ever be an anti-social media platform, or is the only true anti-social media complete abstinence from social media?

Oh hey it’s “you” tells us what makes you “you” on social media? https://tinyurl.com/4s25j67p cause this seems to disagree #BeReal #Authenticity #socialmedia

Social media tells us we can be who we are online. But how capable are we of actually doing that? BeReal tried to put that to the test, lets see how it did: https://tinyurl.com/4s25j67p

Are we really “Connected” by Social Media?

https://www.freepik.com/

How often are you on the “same page” as everyone else when it comes to social media? How often do you tell your friends and family about a trend or drama that is absolutely consuming your Twitter, TikTok, or Facebook, and they haven’t even heard of it? Aren’t you shocked? Doesn’t it feel impossible that they could have missed this thing that literally everyone is talking about right now? Well, it turns out not only is it possible, it’s almost encouraged.

Is there are Front Page of the Internet?

“Just Google it” or “Google is free” are some of the most common responses you’ll see people make when asked to justify their stance on particularly nuanced or controversial beliefs. It comes from the idea that because all the information we could ever need is readily accessible on the internet, people just need to take the time to do their own research, and they’ll see that a majority of online publications support their positions.

But this isn’t always the case, and in fact, it’s dangerous to continue to believe that the internet is the same for everybody else. This isn’t a fact that Google tries to hide from anyone; they openly explain that search results can vary from user to user, and they aren’t the only ones. Ironically, while a huge appeal of social media is to connect with people, places, and ideas we’d never be able to experience, we end up staying in our own bubble.

Stay in Your Bubble

Personalizing the content we see and interact with first is a great business strategy. Compare your YouTube front page with one opened in an Incognito Tab, and tell me which has a video you’d actually be excited to watch. In many ways, it’s a win for everyone because our content is curated to show exactly what we want to see. However, very quickly, this can become what we only want to see, and this is a filter bubble.

Kristen Allred has a great article breaking down filter bubbles, but if you’re looking for something a bit more filtered, CNN Business has you covered.

An Online McDonalds: It’s fast and convenient but is it good for you?

What makes filter bubbles particularly dangerous is their ability to enforce “confirmation bias” or our tendency to cherry-pick information that aligns with our ideas and beliefs. We already seek out sources that affirm our personal outlook, but when that preferential content is spoon-fed to us, the problem becomes exacerbated. In a world where a social media post has no more than 2 seconds to grab someone’s attention, how likely are we to fact-check information that we “feel” must be correct before something else tries to take that spot?

“POP”

Obviously, filter bubbles need to be dealt with, but how do we go about it? Do you think there needs to be a distinction between what content can be personalized and what content can’t? How do we draw that line?

Oh look at this, a link to topic that exactly aligns with your interests: https://tinyurl.com/2p99u95w what a cool thing to find! And you totally found on your own… #filterbubbles #algorithm #socialmedia

I don’t get why things are so divisive! Obviously if they just went online they’d see that I have it all right and they have it all wrong. Oh hey a new link just showed up on my page: https://tinyurl.com/2p99u95w

What’s Convenient About Social Media?

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Convenience is the name of the game when it comes to Social Media. In the attention economy, every second counts to grab and hold onto a user’s attention so that it doesn’t go to a competitor’s or, god forbid, something that isn’t social media.

This convenience has pushed social media to the forefront of our social environment. News is disseminated over TikTok, Instagram posts are a form of protests, and politics are settled in the realm of tweets. The idea behind this is that social media is so convenient and easy to access for everyone that it is the best avenue to connect with as many people as possible. But what really makes social media convenient?

https://the-refinery.io/blog/how-long-does-a-social-media-post-last

You’re talking…but are you saying anything?

Social media has long been seen as negatively contributing to the rise in political polarization and increasing reductive conversation around complex issues, and it’s easy to see why.

When Twitter limits its users to 280 characters, TikTok only lets you speak for 3 minutes max, it’s valid to distrust these platforms. How is it sustainable or even productive for people to engage with real-world issues on platforms that only care if you’re scrolling, not listening?

Add to the fact that it’s tough enough to get people to engage with full-on entertainment, and we see how hard it can be to have anything that resembles meaningful discussion. I find the Washington Post put’s it best. But their another form of convience in regards to social media that doesn’t ask for your time, it’s ask for your thoughts.

Positives Near and Far.

Jeff Jackson is a United States Congressman who has gained 2.2 Million Followers and over 22 Million Likes on TikTok, probably making him the most well-known Congressman in current politics. His content centers around giving clear and honest updates about what it’s like working in high-level American government. This approach to informing the public has been likened to FDR’s “Fireside Chats” and has earned Jackson a great deal of public goodwill.

And while many of us in North America see social media as clogging the pipeline on communication, in many other countries and nations, Social Media is, in fact, the only pipeline of communication.

Fact Check Ghana is an NGO that operates almost entirely on social media, and due to the fact that it’s outside the reach of any major power in the country, it’s become one of the most dependable sources against misinformation in the nation.

Despite coming from two very different news cultures, one that is oversaturated and one that is developing, it’s fascinating to see how both a powerful politician and a fact-checker both use social media for the same purpose: to cut through barriers and get to people.

The Good, the Bad, and the Facebook.

It’s easy to look at social media and see it as nothing but sludge content, but I think these two examples remind us that social media is incredibly versatile in what it can be molded into. And most importantly, I think while it’s important to be critical about how social media is used, it’s equally important to look at how social media is shaped and what is made convenient to us.

So I’ll leave the question to you. What is the convenience of social media, and more importantly, is it its users or producers that make it convenient?

oh that’s a convenient link: https://tinyurl.com/ytr4k3tt …maybe you should click on it since it’s just so easy #twitterpolitcs #socialmedia #tech #business

Man this social media stuff is so convenient and easy to use! I wonder what’s I should use it for. Maybe you should consider learning more about it at this CONVENIENT link: https://tinyurl.com/ytr4k3tt

Social Media: Is it Just Business?

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One thing that fascinates me about social media is how it has extended the definition of “who” can be social. It used to be that socializing was something reserved exclusively for the people in our general vicinity. Who we could talk to was almost entirely defined by our location and social circles. However, thanks to the near-limitless potential of the internet, we can now not only socialize with people on the other side of the Earth but also interact without even needing to socialize with “people” at all. Now, some of the most popular, humorous, and viral accounts on the internet are… brands?

All Press is Good Press

Social media has created an environment where the Wendy’s Company can go viral for roasting people on Twitter, and Duolingo’s mascot constantly threatens its user base with violence. These attitudes seem terrible for brands trying to sell their products. It’s not even about their products and certainly doesn’t portray them in a positive light. However, because these brands are competing in social media instead of traditional media, it’s not about competing for your wallet; it’s about competing for your attention—the one resource that’s becoming rarer and rarer in a world of constant online stimulation.

The Digital Elevator Pitch

Forbes did a great breakdown of the power of the “Attention Economy” and how it compels brands to cultivate a personal, almost individual-like presence on the internet in order to stand out from other brands in the digital marketplace. In a time where companies only have a few seconds to make a lasting impression amidst everything else, it’s not only encouraged but, in many ways, vital that brands do whatever it takes to make themselves appear more than just another face in the crowd.

As such, modern brand social media accounts do everything from sharing their favorite memes, celebrating holidays, and engaging in full-on conversations with…other brands? All in the name of making you think of them before you think of anything else.

Good for business, but what about us?

Adopting this personal approach has obviously been a very successful and clearly profitable venture for companies, but it raises questions about how this type of advertising will impact us. Questions like whether or not brands should occupy spaces in the same way as people and what that means for our privacy. It’s one thing to see brands in public spaces, but it’s another thing to have brands BE the public spaces. This entanglement between public and commercial life has been ongoing, and if you want to know more, the YouTube channel Wisecrack has done a great breakdown discussing how exactly modern advertising came to be so invasive throughout life. It looks like brands have always sought to be as omnipresent as they are now, but only in the age of the internet have they truely had the chance.

“Why You Can’t Escape Ads” Published by Wisecrack Inc, July 10th, 2023

While businesses will always adapt and change with technology, one thing to consider is the increasing trend of businesses trying to make ads less obvious. At what point does the act by brands of pretending to think, feel, and behave like a regular person, how that shapes the media that is produced and consumed, cross the line from “clever marketing” to full-on deception? These questions are now circulating within the AI space as well, and it’s only a matter of time before these worlds merge. We must become mindful not only of what we’re saying on social media but also of “who” exactly we are socializing with.

HEY! Do we have your attention now? Learn more about how valuable your attention is and who’s after it here: https://tinyurl.com/bdhybntk #attentioneconomy #advirtising #socialmedia #business

Looks like you found our post! And that’s exactly what we wanted! If our first impression was good you should learn why we tried to so hard and what it means for you: https://tinyurl.com/bdhybntk

References:

Image Provided by Freepik.com: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/man-using-laptop-smartphone-while-couch-home_11631536.htm#page=6&query=social%20media&position=3&from_view=search&track=ais

Video Provided by Wisecrack Inc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdG_Na_4xgE

Article by Emilia Kirk Provided by Forbes.com: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2022/03/23/the-attention-economy-standing-out-among-the-noise/?sh=3b73a14d7fda

Article by Tricia McKinnon Provided by Indigo9Digital.com: https://www.indigo9digital.com/blog/wendystwitterstrategy#:~:text=The%20brand%20has%20also%20amassed,media%20category%20by%20Fast%20Company.