Sure it looks great, but is it real ?
I recently found an article on digital authenticity that piqued my interest as it has quite a few parallels to the theme of my blog. With the oversaturation of platforms available now for users to showcase their lives, authenticity and realness are becoming a key trend for 2022. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the presentation of a user’s ‘reality’ is more often skewed through the use of photo manipulation and careful curation of posts.
With this seemingly endless glut of artificial reality, users of the shared digital space we all inhabit are looking for something more relatable and authentic. Social media users have now become savvier, and though we knew that what we were seeing before was in fact curated artifice, our relationship to it has changed. There is a greater need now for more authentic content and realistic representation. So much so, that apps such as BEReal have started gaining traction in the war for online users (Approx 10.7 million users to date). The app prompts all of its users once a day to take a photo and post it. To do so it uses the front and rear cameras of your phone simultaneously to take a snap of your current environment. This ‘instant reality’ is starting to push curated content aside, allowing for a more real and candid look into the daily life of its users.
To date, very few other apps have used the technology of simultaneous photo taking, with the most popular being MixCam by Apple. This form of image sharing allows the users to present their current situation or environment and show themselves within that space. Up until now the ‘selfie’ has been king in allowing users to share their experiences in an online space, however, these images also allow the user to manipulate their reality for show. With apps like BeReal and MixCam, we now have a real glimpse into the reality of the influencers and content creators we follow, as well as our real-world friends.
TikTok has grown exponentially since it first launched due to the more authentic and organic nature of the videos posted. With short form video now a key component in most social media apps, authenticity has become the dominant theme in users’ posts. Studies are showing that an average of 59% of global users on TikTok feel a greater sense of community on the app, and in Australia, Brazil and Canada, 83%, 94% and 86% of users respectively feel that the app provides them with content they can relate to.
This new wave of real content is becoming key to a brands reputation in the industry that it inhabits. User generated content is now becoming a large part of business strategies as far as their marketing is concerned. By using this form of organic content businesses are able to build trust with their audience and reinforce their core values through authentic representation. A quick scroll through many of the social media platforms available now will highlight just how much real content stands out in contrast to the over manipulated posts we have become accustomed to.
For myself as a photographer, I believe it is vital to the ongoing growth of my business to represent my subjects in their best possible light, while also respecting their authenticity, identity and brand. As a reader of this blog and potentially a new client of mine, I believe that it is important for you to view my work and understand the ethos of authenticity and respect that I approach each collaboration with.
Until the next blog, keep it real!