“2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!”

     Every day since early June, I have been waiting patiently for that notification to pop up. Most of the time, my BeReals consist of a selfie with my tongue sticking out and on the flip side, my steering wheel. Two pictures- a selfie and a back camera photo of myself capture what is going on around me. It’s entertaining, scrolling through to see what others are up to and interacting with other posts. Instead of commenting with an emoji, you react with a facial expression. This app pressures me to post on time every day. I will not be able to view my friends’ BeReals until I post my own. My friends also have the ability to see how many times I have retaken my BeReal.

     When I first downloaded the app, I had a hard time uploading raw photos of myself. I have most social media platforms, but I don’t post often. The privacy I have from not posting on any social platform is valuable to me. The pressure of posting or looking a certain way is also a lot to handle for me. But unlike other popular apps, BeReal is a more intimate social media platform. BeReal has shown us that social media does not have to be a filtered version of ourselves.

    Growing up in a technology-obsessed culture, I have seen the effect of social media on teens. Teens feel like their worth is based on the number of likes or how many people follow them, but BeReal changes that. The app doesn’t show how many people follow you or your past BeReals. This gives users a bit of privacy which I enjoy. BeReal gives a new authentic look on social media. While the app won’t make you famous, as Instagram or TikTok might, it shares a more intimate bond with the user. I feel that this is what makes the app stand out.

     I consider myself a pretty confident person, but as soon as I open Instagram, that feeling disappears. Being on social media isn’t for everyone. The feeling of insecurity that comes with being on these platforms isn’t good for the user or the platform. BeReal is a great platform to combat these issues because it helps me to escape from this picture-perfect version of myself. I can post a raw photo of myself now without feeling anxious or insecure. 

     BeReal has encouraged me to post more on social media. While I might never post on Instagram or Facebook again, I can always count on BeReal because I know my friends will not care how I look. My mindset has changed while I have had the app from first being anxious to now being excited to post. BeReal reminds us that in order to show our authentic selves, we must start showing what is going on around us.