With new social media app, BeReal steadily gaining more popularity (it currently boasts an impressive 21 million monthly active users), it’s no surprise that other platforms are wanting to cash in on the action.
Instagram, for instance, is currently testing a feature called Candid Challenges, which bears a striking resemblance to the core concept of BeReal. Like BeReal, it prompts users to capture and share a photo within two minutes, and it also uses a dual camera to capture the front and back of each image.
Users who participate in Candid Challenges will be notified at a random time throughout the day to post a candid photo (also following in the footsteps of BeReal). Once they’ve taken a photo within the two minute window, the image will appear on their Instagram stories.
Instagram has been known to take inspiration from other social media platforms, especially in recent years. Earlier this year, it took on TikTok with the announcement of its new Creator Marketplace. It also recently introduced ways to pin Stories - similar to features offered by TikTok and Twitter.
Most notably, it shifted more towards a video-sharing platform, amidst heavy competition from TikTok and YouTube. First, it launched Reels (a direct competitor to TikTok) back in 2020 and then merged its long-form IGTV offering into a more general ‘Instagram Video format’ to ‘create a more streamlined experience.’
As Instagram evolves, it’s had to consider the growing influence of Gen Z, and how they interact with social media. Unlike millennials, who Instagram used to be targeted towards, Gen Z seems to prefer less curated content, less filters, and less time spent thinking about the perfect caption or angle.
Image sources: Digit and Later Blog
