BeReal or BeFake? - Diving into Social Media Authenticity

This Master’s Thesis explores the concept of authenticity on social media, focusing specifically on the BeReal platform. To provide a foundation, Chapter One begins with a theoretical framework that defines authenticity, particularly from a psychological perspective, and examines its relevance in digital environments and social media. After that, Chapter Two provides an analysis of the application BeReal, delving into its features and affordances, and highlighting the possible interactions with the app. Chapter Three outlines the methodology and findings from interviews conducted with sixteen BeReal users. The interviews reveal diverse perspectives on what constitutes authenticity and how it is manifested through user interactions with the app’s features. The collected data highlights authenticity's subjective nature and its varied interpretation among different users. Chapter Four synthesizes these findings, comparing them with theoretical frameworks and existing literature on authenticity. Finally, proposals of areas for future research are suggested, emphasizing the need for larger, more diverse samples, and longitudinal analyses to deepen the understanding of authenticity in digital environments.