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The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony
Print Issues

Beme Me Up, Casey

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Every few years, a new social media platform emerges, labeling itself as the next big thing. However, most of them either rapidly gain traction only to be forgotten in a matter of months or never even get off the ground. Either way, the app is not a lasting success.

Beme, on the other hand, might just be the platform that breaks free from this pattern. Developed by Casey Neistat, filmmaker and popular YouTube personality, Beme is the social media site that pulls back the curtains. Neistat created Beme because he was sick of the fictionalized version of themselves users posted on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.

With that in mind, Beme is the app that forces users to portray their true selves by preventing users from reviewing content before it’s posted. This is how it works: video recording is activated when your iPhone’s sensor (to the right of the front-facing camera) is covered. Then, the video automatically posts after it is finished recording. Each video is only four seconds long and the user doesn’t have a chance to review it before it’s posted. The idea behind the sensor-activated recording is that users can still maintain eye contact with someone or still experience eventful moments while sharing it with their friends. For example, someone can go to a concert and record a clip of their favorite song without having to watch the concert through a phone screen.

The idea behind it is a great one. Many musicians have lamented the fact that their fans aren’t truly experiencing their concerts, as they stare at their phone the whole time. In addition, many motivational speakers have encouraged their listeners to take a break from technology to truly experience life. That sentiment, coupled with the authenticity Beme promises to deliver on the part of the user, is why the app has gained so much press so soon (it’s still in beta testing — only people with an unlock code have access). Already, it has been featured in Adweek, Wired and Buzzfeed among other news sites.

However, despite the popularity it already has, it’s unlikely to find widespread acceptance. There are no “like” or “comment” features – the only way to show appreciation for a post is to send a “reaction,” a selfie taken while watching the post. Because of this, and the fact that users don’t have any control over what they post, it doesn’t appeal to the natural vanity every person has. People want to see that other people liked what they posted, and they want everyone else to see that too.

In addition, there’s a reason people fictionalize themselves on other social media sites. Social media is there to show off what a glamorous life you have; nobody wants the curtain pulled back to reveal their boring and average life. And, nobody wants to watch videos of other peoples’ boring and average lives. Instagram wouldn’t be as popular as it is if it were only pictures of cubicles. Authenticity is boring, and perhaps that is something Neistat will learn.

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