SLOHS Expressions is SoReal. really. Photo courtesy of senior Jane Culbreath.

  BeReal is the newest social media platform on the rise as of 2022. Developed by Alexis Barreyat, a former GoPro employee, and Kevin Perreau in 2020, the app aims to provide a real and honest view into its users day to day life. 

  BeReal sends one time sensitive notification per day, and users take two photos to upload. Despite the two minute countdown timer, people can still post even hours after the alert. 

  “I like to see what my friends are up to, and it’s just fun. If everyone gets the notification when they are together, it is a fun little community thing and everyone takes photos together. I don’t take it very seriously and I don’t usually do it on time,” said junior Naomi Garrett. 

  For many, BeReal is just a fun and unserious way to look at what their friends are up to and share a moment of their day. Some, however, believe it continues to perpetuate the fake and ideal nature of a social media presence. 

  “I don’t have any social media, and the advertisement of BeReal as the most ‘real’ social media is hard to believe. No matter what, we get sucked in. Social media is time consuming and contributes to short attention spans and instant gratification,” said senior Mark Rourke. 

  For many, BeReal just doesn’t serve a purpose in their lives.

  “I don’t use BeReal. I just don’t see a point in it. It’s social media, so there is a degree to which it is not honest,” said senior Katie Karleskint. 

  Furthermore, because users don’t have to post in the two minute time period, people can pick and choose the best time to post. 

  “Almost nobody posts on time. You can’t edit and select photos like Instagram, but I think it tries to be more raw than it actually is,” said Garrett.

  While BeReal is a fun and mostly harmless app, it’s important to recognize how it contributes to the culture of social media and comparison. BeReal isn’t for everyone, but it can be a fun way to share one’s day. 

Source: techcrunch.com