BeReal is an up-and-coming app that invites its users to post a picture, with the front and back camera, within two minutes of each other. The BeReal notification comes at a different time randomly everyday, keeping users intrigued and on their toes. You are also able to “react” to your friend’s posts by taking a selfie of yourself that will appear under their post. If you post “late,” after the two minute timer, all of your friends on the app will get a notification once you finally post. The basis of the app is for users to “be real” in that two minute span, whether they happen to be lying in bed or out with friends.
BeReal promotes its users to “live in the moment,” no matter how “lame” those random two minutes out of your day may look. It endorses authenticity and being genuine, something I believe most social media apps nowadays do not have.
The question however, is whether or not users actually use BeReal for what it’s being advertised as, or if they just wait until they are doing something fun to post.
I believe users should take advantage of this concept, as we may not see something like this again online. It also gives users the opportunity to be “normal,” as there are no followers or likes, it is simply you and your friends simultaneously capturing a moment of your day. You do not have to act like an influencer on BeReal, and there are no pictures to edit or Photoshop, which feels like a breath of fresh air compared to other apps such as Snapchat or Instagram.
On my BeReal feed, there are quite a variety of users. There are people who post right on time, or just a few minutes later, but there are people who obviously wait until later that night to post when they are doing something fun, and there are just people who genuinely forget, posting twenty hours or more late. I, for one, believe in the app’s purpose, so I am an avid “on time” poster, even though sometimes I am embarrassed about lying in bed on a Friday night.
I believe the majority of BeReal users post late, but this can also come down to a question of whether they are waiting until they are doing something fun or with friends, or if they just genuinely forgot. Although I think that most users wait to post, I encourage all to post on time, as waiting entirely defeats the purpose of the app. Who cares if you are just grocery shopping or walking your dog? It’s more fun to see what everyone is doing at that exact moment, than to see everyone at parties several hours after the notification went off.
The app released a statement saying, “BeReal won’t make you famous. If you want to be an influencer you can stay on TikTok and Instagram.” It is truly pushing for the idea of authenticity, and I believe, as users in today’s modern world, we should abide by that.
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