Hello everyone, welcome to the one and only episode of my podcast, a podcast where I talk about

hot topics and spice them up even more with my opinion, and as Beyonce said (…) Ahah we got hot
sauce in our bag. Today ladies and gentlemen we will be talking about Bereal. We’re live and we will
be answering a question from one of you soon enough so buckle up!!

What is be real?

this app promotes itself by taking pride in being an anti-influencer app which makes it Instagram
nemesis by consequence.

The success of bereal?

Now what bereal is doing right is promoting authenticity, normalizing the normal again. It encourages
people to stay away from the alternate plastic reality we created for ourselves on our Instagram
feeds. Social media influencers usually share carefully selected and edited moments of their lives,
showcasing a filtered reality. This can lead to a distorted perception of what is normal or attainable,
causing individuals to feel dissatisfied with their own lives and identities. However, the creators of
bereal constructed an app that counterattacks this by being anti influencer.

In fact, today, I read an article discussing how Authentic self-expression on social media is associated
with a greater subjective well-being. So, the more authentic your brand on social media is to your
true self, the happier you are. This study explores and demonstrates the causal relationship between
how posting authentically makes your lifestyle and identity perception improve. SO, can we say that
bereal is making people happier? Is it making us more confident and certain of our identities? I need
you to answer this question for me, I will the listeners decide and give me their opinion on this
matter, call us on our phone number and let us hear ur amazing voice!

Q&A with dorka

Alright we got a call from a listener amazing! *beep beep*

Hello!! Who am I speaking with?

- Dorka

So tell me what do you think of the app?

- I like it, I can see what my friends are doing. I have a question thougg, what makes bereal so
special?

Yes dorka, Thank you for your question! What makes this app different in my opinion is its ability to
create a consistent awareness system. What I mean by that is communication systems that is
intended to help people construct and maintain awareness of each others’ activities, context or
status, even when the participants are not in the same location, The whole purpose of this app is
anchored in this concept, that’s what makes it so unique.

I hope I answered your question, Dorka!

- Yes, thank you so much! I am a big fan of the show.

Numidia’s opinion on the app:

I personally never downloaded the app, I felt like I didn’t need another platform where I share my
pictures and keep distracting myself with other people’s lives. In fact I see it as a very hypocritical
social media platform.
- The app takes away ur agency as a user, it is the one deciding when you post by sending you a
notification at random times of the day, it may be when you’re eating, sleeping or doing the
deed. This technological deterministic aspect makes pushing back from CTI around you even
harder, it entices you to be always connected, waiting for a notification. And even though, in
my 24 hours unplugged experiment essay I pointed out that instead of pushing back from
communication technologies we should learn how to handle them with more skill and media
literacy. I do feel like a concept like bereal is truly problematic because it blurs the line even
more between the reality we live in and the digital world. how does an app that takes pride
in being authentic, reminds you of being in the moment by taking you out of the moment?
- It’s an effort that makes you live in the delusion of being disconnected, it makes you even
more intertwined with your media; bereal symbolizes the rise of the authentic aesthetic, not
only you need to look pretty in your pictures but you have to look effortlessly pretty which
adds even more pressure on these media users. On many instances for example, users would
choose the perfect frame, retake the picture numerous times and wait until they are in a
desirable setting to portray the best effortless aesthetic picture. So even the features of the
app and its preface portray the hypocrisy of It.

And I will conclude today’s podcast with what Neema Githere words perfectly in ID magazine.
And I quote: “These platforms simply cannot hold the true range of who we are and what we
hold, so this trend of trying to be authentic online is a bit of a trap that serves to further keep
us attached to these platforms – stuck in the same performance spirals,” she says. “The
attempt to be ‘authentic’ is a premature endeavour in the face of widespread algorithmic
nudging.”

That’s it guys, thank you for our listeners, make sure to follow us on all our social media
platforms. that was Numidia’s podcast. Busca la vida!