Don’t worry, I’m not saying that well curated insta dumps are going out of style. I think we can rest assured that recaps and highlight reels will continue to populate the apps we know and love. While crazy stunts and flashy videos will continue to dominate our social media platforms, a quieter genre of social media has been on the rise. Gen Z has found favor in new minimalistic platforms– spaces that allow them to capture their lives through personal niches.
Take Beli, for example. If you have foodie friends, you’ve probably been sent countless invitations to join this app where users can have their own food critique-ified version of Yelp. Or LetterBoxd, the go-to platform for any self-proclaimed to share their thoughts on the cinematography and profoundness of a recent movie they watched.Â
Why is Gen Z so passionate about leaving their digital footprint? And what has led to their love for a stripped down version of social media?
It started with a craving for authenticity. As social media became increasingly performative, a niche of videos “exposing” influencers and the secrets of social media found virality. Throngs of people who had spent years poring through screens at perfectly toned bodies (and inevitably feeling worse about themselves) started searching for something real. BeReal jumped on this opportunity! The app encouraged users to share unfiltered snapshots of their lives- mundane, imperfect, and far from Instagram worthy. BeReal has since run its course, its popularity has dwindled significantly since the initial hype. But there was an undeniable intimacy to it. It gave us a peek into the lives of our friends, family, and even influencers or celebrities that chose to participate in the trend. Other companies took note: users wanted something real! They enjoyed simplicity. They wanted connection.Â
In BeReal’s place, we have apps that allow us to document and share the unglamorous parts of our lives: the mediocre movie you watched with your friends on a Tuesday night, the 1 am burrito run to Baja’s. The appeal is simple. These new platforms open the door for us to forge connections and nurture our relationships. In an era where our attention is a commodity, it’s easy to get caught up in the next flashiest thing. It is hard to stop and ask about the little things– the things that friendships are built on. The inside jokes. The random check-ins. The this-reminded-me-of-yous. The casual updates that make us feel like we’re still a part of each other’s lives.
Minimalist social media gives us those moments back. It drops conversation starters into our laps, it keeps us connected to the little things. Social media was meant to bring people together and when it became all about posting achievements and perfect photos, we lost the intimacy behind it. Now, minimalist platforms are restoring that. In a world of constant digital noise, the most meaningful posts are not the perfectly curated ones, but the unfiltered, mundane moments we choose to share and remember.