{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,13]],"date-time":"2026-04-13T20:03:05Z","timestamp":1776110585127,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":74,"publisher":"Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)","issue":"7","content-domain":{"domain":["dl.acm.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Proc. ACM Hum.-Comput. Interact."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>The effects of social media platform usage on users' well-being have been a topic of significant discussion. Some evidence suggests that users sharing about themselves in ways that are perceived by themselves and others as ''authentic'' may benefit their well-being. BeReal is a social media platform that aims to encourage more authentic online behavior by constraining users' ability to selectively share content via a daily prompt to post whatever they are doing at that time. This rigid operationalization of authenticity, however, may be at odds with the rich and nuanced notions of authenticity observed in practice. Through an analysis of interviews with 25 BeReal users, we find that participants experienced two facets of authenticity that often did not align with BeReal's operationalization. Moreover, we find that participants' desire for authenticity was often in tension with their competing desires for privacy and autonomy, and their desire to reflect back on significant moments. We discuss how these tensions illustrate the challenges of designing for authenticity and add nuance to our understanding of authenticity on social media platforms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1145\/3757602","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]],"date-time":"2025-10-16T17:32:05Z","timestamp":1760635925000},"page":"1-25","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["From 'Time to BeReal' to 'Let Me Post My BeFake:' A Case of Operationalizing Authenticity Through Design"],"prefix":"10.1145","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-4654-2634","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Li","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9628-3428","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annika","family":"Pinch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-9462-7627","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Justine","family":"Fisher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4052-0214","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Darren","family":"Gergle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4172-4534","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jeremy","family":"Birnholtz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA"}]}],"member":"320","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_1_1_1","volume-title":"Authentic\u2122: The Politics of Ambivalence in a Brand Culture","author":"Banet-Weiser Sarah","year":"2012","unstructured":"Sarah Banet-Weiser. 2012. Authentic\u2122: The Politics of Ambivalence in a Brand Culture. New York University Press, New York, NY, USA."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3479574"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3479574"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1369118X.2015.1084349"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_5_1","volume-title":"Personal Connections in the Digital Age","author":"Baym Nancy K","unstructured":"Nancy K Baym. 2015. Personal Connections in the Digital Age. John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1460-2466.2012.01664.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_7_1","unstructured":"BeReal. 2024. Our Mission and Values. https:\/\/help.bereal.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/10738198628637-Our-Mission-and-Values#: :text=To%20create%20an%20authentic%20world people%20you%20really%20care%20about."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_8_1","volume-title":"Supporting Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Sofie Bager-Charleson and Alistair McBeath (Eds.)","author":"Braun Virginia","unstructured":"Virginia Braun, Victoria Clark, Nikki Hayfield, Louise Davey, and Elizabeth Jenkinson. 2022. Doing reflexive thematic analysis. In Supporting Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy, Sofie Bager-Charleson and Alistair McBeath (Eds.). Springer Nature, Cham, Switzerland, 19-28."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14780887.2020.1769238"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_11_1","volume-title":"The SAGE Handbook of Social Media, Jean Burgess, Thomas Poell, and Alice E","author":"Bucher Taina","unstructured":"Taina Bucher and Anne Helmond. 2017. The affordances of social media platforms. In The SAGE Handbook of Social Media, Jean Burgess, Thomas Poell, and Alice E. Marwick (Eds.). SAGE Publications, London, England, UK, 233-253."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2851581.2856463"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2478\/popets-2020-0057"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/07370024.2012.656047"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_15_1","volume-title":"Identities in Everyday Life, Jan E","author":"Davis Jenny L.","unstructured":"Jenny L. Davis. 2019. Authenticity, digital media, and person identity verfication. In Identities in Everyday Life, Jan E. Stets and Richard T. Serpe (Eds.). Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, UK, 93-114."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_16_1","volume-title":"How Artifacts Afford: The Power and Politics of Everyday Things","author":"Davis Jenny L","unstructured":"Jenny L Davis. 2020. How Artifacts Afford: The Power and Politics of Everyday Things. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1206331206289022"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2998181.2998192"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3449162"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2901790.2901861"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_21_1","first-page":"4983","article-title":"Gendered visibility on social media: Navigating Instagram's authenticity bind","volume":"13","author":"Duffy Brooke Erin","year":"2019","unstructured":"Brooke Erin Duffy and Emily Hund. 2019. Gendered visibility on social media: Navigating Instagram's authenticity bind. International Journal of Communication, Vol. 13 (2019), 4983-5002. https:\/\/ijoc.org\/index.php\/ijoc\/article\/view\/11729","journal-title":"International Journal of Communication"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/1369118X.2016.1168471"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/242485.242493"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_24_1","volume-title":"Hendry","author":"Friedman Batya","year":"2019","unstructured":"Batya Friedman and David G. Hendry. 2019. Value Sensitive Design: Shaping Technology with Moral Imagination. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/280571.280583"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0093650210377091"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_27_1","volume-title":"The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life","author":"Goffman Erving","unstructured":"Erving Goffman. 1959. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Penguin Random House, New York, NY, USA."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1089\/cyber.2016.0010"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_29_1","volume-title":"Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls","author":"Hagey Keach","year":"2021","unstructured":"Keach Hagey, Jeff Horwitz, and Deepa Seetharaman. 2021. Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show. The Wall Street Journal (14 Sep 2021). https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/facebook-knows-instagram-is-toxic-for-teen-girls-company-documents-show-11631620739?mod=hp_lead_pos7&mod=article_inline"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_30_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5210\/fm.v21i6.6791"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_31_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3479567"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_32_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/016344371984661"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_33_1","volume-title":"Oxford Handbook of Internet Psychology, Adam Joinson, Kaitlyn McKenna, Tom Postmes, and Ulf-Deidrich Reips (Eds.)","author":"Hancock Jeffrey T.","unstructured":"Jeffrey T. Hancock. 2007. Digital deception: Why, when and how people lie. In Oxford Handbook of Internet Psychology, Adam Joinson, Kaitlyn McKenna, Tom Postmes, and Ulf-Deidrich Reips (Eds.). Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, UK, 289-302."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_34_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1240624.1240697"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_35_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/00223890902794291"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_36_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2470654.2466137"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_37_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"JaeWon Kim Robert Wolfe Ishita Chordia Katie Davis and Alexis Hiniker. 2024. ''Sharing not showing off'': How BeReal approaches authentic self-presentation on social media through its design. (2024). doi:10.48550\/arXiv.2408.02883","DOI":"10.48550\/arXiv.2408.02883"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_38_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2482991.2482994"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_39_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/20563051221086235"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_40_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/da.22466"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_41_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2015.04.064"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_42_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jcc4.12125"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_43_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.copsyc.2019.08.019"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_44_1","volume-title":"20120. Questions, options, and criteria: Elements of design space analysis","author":"MacLean Allan","unstructured":"Allan MacLean, Richard M. Young, Victoria M.E. Bellotti, and Thomas P. Moran. 20120. Questions, options, and criteria: Elements of design space analysis. In Design Rationale, Thomas P. Moran and John M. Carroll (Eds.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, 201-8250."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_45_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/13548565231199987"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_46_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/146144481036531"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_47_1","volume-title":"Privacy in Context: Technology, Policy, and the Integrity of Social Life","author":"Nissenbaum Helen","unstructured":"Helen Nissenbaum. 2009. Privacy in Context: Technology, Policy, and the Integrity of Social Life. Stanford University Press, Redwood City, CA, USA."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_48_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/til-2019-0008"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_49_1","volume-title":"The Design of Everyday Things","author":"Norman Don","unstructured":"Don Norman. 2013. The Design of Everyday Things. Basic Books, New York, NY, USA."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_50_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1460-2466.2011.01569.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_51_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1753326.1753635"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_52_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3314344.3332483"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_53_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chbr.2021.100055"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_54_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3637408"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_55_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/14614448241267731"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_56_1","volume-title":"Blowing up the Brand: Critical Perspectives on Promotional Culture, Melissa Aronczyk and Devon Powers (Eds.).","author":"Pooley Jefferson","unstructured":"Jefferson Pooley. 2010. The consuming self: From flappers to Facebook. In Blowing up the Brand: Critical Perspectives on Promotional Culture, Melissa Aronczyk and Devon Powers (Eds.). Peter Lang, New York, NY, USA, 71-87."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_57_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3613904.3642690"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_58_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2013.07.030"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_59_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/spc3.12070"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_60_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/socsci6010010"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_61_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2686612.2686672"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_62_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/01634437231209420"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_63_1","unstructured":"Statista. 2024a. BeReal - statistics \/& facts. https:\/\/www.statista.com\/topics\/10096\/bereal\/#topicOverview"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_64_1","unstructured":"Statista. 2024b. BeReal: Unique Users in the U.S. by Age and Gender. https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1341126\/bereal-us-unique-users-by-age-and-gender\/"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_65_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s11126-019-09630-7"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_66_1","unstructured":"U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2023a. Social Media and Youth Mental Health: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory. https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf Accessed: 2024-10-29."},{"key":"e_1_2_1_67_1","unstructured":"U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2023b. Surgeon General Issues New Advisory About Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health. https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/about\/news\/2023\/05\/23\/surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-about-effects-social-media-use-has-youth-mental-health.html Retrieved August 25 2024 from"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_68_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444814543164"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_69_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2702123.2702460"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_70_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/009365096023001001"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_71_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444817707349"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_72_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0890060406060057"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_73_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/2818048.2819948"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_74_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/3641006"}],"container-title":["Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1145\/3757602","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]],"date-time":"2025-10-16T17:32:15Z","timestamp":1760635935000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dl.acm.org\/doi\/10.1145\/3757602"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]]},"references-count":74,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,18]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1145\/3757602"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1145\/3757602","relation":{},"ISSN":["2573-0142"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2573-0142","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,16]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2025-10-16","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}