Why BeReal Is the Perfect App for Generation Z

A photo-sharing app that promises to capture "real life … without filters" has become a big hit with Generation Z.

Users of BeReal, which is sitting at No 1 in the App Store ranking for iPhone social networking apps, are prompted at a random time each day to capture and post an image that shows what they're up to. The image combines a selfie and a snap of whatever the user is looking at—and the app prompts them to post within two minutes of receiving the notification.

The aim is to share your life in real time and "show your friends who you really are," according to the description on the App Store.

BeReal is a great fit for Generation Z, who are more interested in real-life connections than one might assume given that their lives are "inextricably tied" to the unreal bubble that can be the digital world.

Members of Gen Z—defined by the Pew Research Center as people born after 1996—spend more time on the internet than any other demographic cohort and are the most dependent on it, according to a 2020 study from tech company WP Engine.

Their daily lives are "inherently connected" to the internet and nearly 60 percent of those surveyed said they were unable to go without internet access for more than four hours without "becoming uncomfortable."

The research was based on surveys of people living in the U.S., Western Europe and Australia. There were 1,252 U.S. respondents, with ages ranging from 14 to 59—including 250 from Gen Z.

The study found: "The attributes of trust, sharing and authenticity in the digital world are all key components of Gen Z's overall identity," and their digital experiences must allow them to "be creative, engage on a personal level and, most importantly, be themselves."

Authenticity matters when it comes to consumer brands too. The survey reported that "82 percent of Gen Z trusts a company more if the images they use in their ads are of actual customers."

Although the 2020 study found that 56 percent of Generation Z value "digital relationships and are friends with someone they only know online," their preferred type of communication is in person, according to research by Roberta Katz, a senior research scholar at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University.

The findings of Katz and her fellow researchers were based on 120 interviews conducted on different college campuses, as well as focus groups and surveys in the U.S. and U.K. conducted among 2,000-plus adults aged between 18 and 25. They are outlined in the 2021 book Gen Z, Explained: The Art of Living in a Digital Age.

In an interview published on Stanford's website in January, Katz said the researchers had been surprised by the responses to their question about communication methods. "We expected the interviewees to respond with their favorite type of digital communication—text, email, chat group, DM, FaceTime, Skype—but instead nearly every single person said their favorite form of communication was 'in person.'"

Katz added that the power of digital media had helped Generation Z to develop "a greater appreciation for diversity," with access to the internet allowing them to "learn about people and cultures around the globe from an early age."

This wider view of the world has also kept Generation Z very much in touch with real-life concerns.

Deloitte's Global 2022 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, which is based on responses from 14,808 members of Gen Z and 8,412 millennials in 46 countries, the top five concerns for Gen Z were the cost of living, climate change, unemployment, mental health and sexual harassment.

The survey found: "Gen Zs and millennials are deeply worried about the state of the world and are fighting to reconcile their desire for change with the demands and constraints of everyday life."

Katz made a similar point in her Stanford interview, saying: "Many people are beginning to appreciate the strength and pragmatism of Gen Zers.

She explained that "a typical Gen Zer is a self-driver who deeply cares about others, strives for a diverse community, is highly collaborative and social, values flexibility, relevance, authenticity."

They are "not always right" and "often they don't know what they need, especially in a new setting." But this is where "inter-generational dialogue" is crucial, Katz added.

"Both the older and the younger colleagues can learn from the other, in each case by listening with more respect, appreciation and trust."