beme: Share video. Honestly.
Videos meant to be "authentic" are too random to make sense.
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beme: Share video. Honestly.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this app.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that beme: Share video. Honestly. is a short-video broadcasting service. It's similar to Snapchat in that the videos "disappear" once viewed, but it's unique because it's meant to eliminate the self-consciousness associated with taking selfies. You can hold the device to your chest and film outward (without watching what you're filming), and there's no preview of a video before posting. The idea behind that, according to the creator, well-known YouTuber Casey Neistat, is that the broadcasts are totally authentic -- no editing, no filters. Users have to wait 99 days to be given access or get a code from a friend (though it's pretty easy to find a code via social media). The terms of service specify that users be 13 or older and do not prohibit profanity, nudity, violence, and the like. Users can block posters that they don't care to see again and report content.
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What’s It About?
After registering a username and securing an unlock code, users of BEME: SHARE VIDEO. HONESTLY. must grant permission for the app to access the microphone and camera. To broadcast a video, teens cover the device's proximity sensor; the app automatically records for four seconds; and then it uploads the video to the servers, where it can be viewed by your followers. Once they've viewed the video, it disappears from the feed. You can follow other broadcasters to see their videos. There are no profiles, comments, or likes, though viewers can take a selfie to respond to a video.
Is It Any Good?
There has to be some better middle ground between highly edited, unrealistic social media images and four seconds of unedited, un-previewed, random video. While Casey Neistat’s explanation is poetic (he demonstrates how you can hold the device to your heart rather than in front of your face), the reality just doesn't reflect the goal of authenticity. Instead, you see lots of motion-sickness-inducing shorts and are left wondering just what you may have broadcast to the world, because you'll never see it yourself. According to the app's mission, that would be vain -- but isn't it also vain to think anyone wants to see four seconds of the world from your eyes (or heart)?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the whole idea concept of presenting your "true" self to the world without editing. What really happens when you can't even see what you're broadcasting? Do the videos really disappear once they're viewed?
Check out our parenting resources about kids and social media for more ideas and thought-provoking questions.
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: July 31, 2015
- Category: Social Networking
- Publisher: Beme
- Version: 0.5
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 8.0 or later
- Last updated: July 28, 2016
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