BeReal is Taking the World by Storm as the Anti-Instagram App

The Real-Deal Alternate to Instagram?

BeReal was heralded as a potential social media spoiler and an anti-Instagram app. The growth from 2 million BeReal users at the start of 2023 to more than 73 million members now is staggering. But does it imply BeReal will become more popular than Instagram or other social media giants? Can I trust BeReal?

What is BeReal, exactly?

The first step in using BeReal is having a firm grasp on what it actually is. Sharing photographs and videos in real time, unaltered, is a breeze with this social networking app. This allows users to share their “true selves,” unaltered by filters or other modifying software. Users can feel free to express themselves without fear of reprisal because neither receives likes and comments can be left on the posts.

Is BeReal less addicting?

The addictive nature of social media is often cited as a criticism of this medium. In other words, the more time we spend on Instagram and other social networks, the better it is for them. BeReal claims to be unique, but do the numbers back that up?

The majority of users (21.9%) spend between 20 and 40 minutes per day on BeReal, while a sizable minority (21.6%) spend between 40 and 1 hour each day. On the other hand, people spend an average of 29 minutes per day on Instagram, 59 minutes per day on TikTok, and 19 minutes per day on YouTube. The bottom line? While it’s possible that those who use BeReal may spend less overall, the gap isn’t very large.

Can there be no risk to one’s mental health with BeReal?

One of the biggest issues with social media is how it affects people’s mental health. According to PhotoAiD’s findings, 68% of users report feeling FOMO on BeReal, with 35% noting that it’s more acute than on other social networking sites.

So, it’s not as if BeReal doesn’t alleviate social media-related depression and anxiety. What about contrasting the anti-Instagram app with Instagram itself, since we’re already talking about it?

Instagram users reported much greater feelings of FOMO than non-users, according to a research published in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. In fact, 62.5% of Instagram users said they’d had FOMO, compared to just 45.5% of those who didn’t have an account.

And if you believe PsychAlive, among all the main social media applications, Instagram is the most detrimental to our psyches. This popular photo-sharing app has been connected to increased rates of bullying and FOMO, as well as negative emotions including anxiety, despair, and loneliness, and negative effects on body image and sleep quality.

BeReal appears to be more beneficial to one’s mental health than Instagram and similar applications. Keep in mind, though, that no app is risk-free when it comes to your mental health; it all comes down to how you use the app and what you choose to share.

Downloads and Rates of App Popularity for Instagram and BeReal
Let’s focus on cold, hard business facts.

BeReal began in 2018, making it a relatively young participant in the space compared to the well-established platform Instagram, which has over a billion users. Instagram has a significant lead in the large number of followers. While BeReal has been downloaded “only” 73.5 million times, Instagram has been downloaded over 2.6 billion times across both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store (1 billion in the US alone!). This proves that Instagram is still the most popular social networking app overall.

BeReal, on the other hand, is becoming increasingly popular very quickly. Many of the app’s users have been singing its praises in recent months for helping them maintain good mental health and overall happiness.

However, Instagram’s expansion has been quite consistent in recent years. Despite its continued dominance, some users have grown tired of Instagram’s emphasis on curated content and the accompanying pressure to portray a flawless image.

Conclusions

Although BeReal has only been around for a short period, it has gained a lot of traction because to its emphasis on positive mental health. Over seventy-three million copies have been downloaded, and its popularity seems to grow daily.

To be sure, no software has ever been proven to directly cause mental health problems in any user. How you utilise the app and the material you share make all the difference.

BeReal seems to be healthier for your mental health all around than Instagram. It remains to be seen, however, if it can compete with Instagram in the long term, as Instagram is already a well-established network with over a billion users and billions of downloads.

Whatever the situation may be, we should all take care of our mental health and exercise caution when using social media. BeReal is an excellent first step in this direction, and the platform’s success demonstrates that there is a need for services like this.