As a teenager, I can agree that social media is a big part of our lives. Social media allows us to express ourselves and communicate with others. It also exposes us to current events and a variety of other subjects.
However, social media also has harmful effects. Platforms like Instagram and Snapchat spread a sense of false reality and unrealistic beauty using filters and photoshop. These issues heighten the risk for mental health problems. Thankfully, a new social media app is said to put an end to these issues.
“BeReal” is one of the most trending social media apps on the App Store. Its unique concept is redefining the future of social media. After hearing about it from a couple of my friends, I decided to give it a try.
How it Works
Every day, at an unpredictable time, the users of the app are pinged and asked to share an image of themselves. The app allows for both the front and back camera of the phone to capture an image simultaneously. You have exactly two minutes to take a picture of whatever you are doing at that current moment and post it.
If you post the picture after the two minutes are over, all of your friends will be notified that you posted late. The photo can also be retaken, but your friends will know when that happens as well.
If you are not able to post a picture for some reason, you are unable to see pictures their friends post either. Users are also notified when their friends post a picture. When viewing a friend’s post, you can interact with the picture using “RealMojis”.
The Good Things
After using the app for a couple days, I noticed a lot of cool features that I would love to see implemented in other social media platforms:
Photos cannot be edited or filtered. In addition, the users only have two minutes to take a picture. This makes it difficult to try to “fake” a picture.
There are no follower counts, hashtags, or anything else that makes you “popular”. This decreases the anxiety and depression that is caused by most social media platforms.
You cannot contact others privately. Any comments are public for all to see.
You can only post once per day. This feature helps limit the amount of time spent on the app.
Anyone who wishes to comment on a photo must be friends with the user. This means that the probability of a stranger contacting the user is extremely low.
The Bad Things
Although I noticed a handful of amazing features on the app, there were some concerning things that I saw as well.
Posts on BeReal are unmoderated. Since the company is a hosting company, it is not required to oversee any of the posts that are coming through. This can expose us to inappropriate and unsafe content.
There are little to no parental controls. This means that you should take the “13+” policy of the app pretty seriously.
My Take
After using BeReal for a week, I am officially in love with the app. I love the features the app offers. My favorite feature of the app has to be that you can only post real-time and unfiltered pictures.
Although there are some annoyances, like missing the two minute mark to post a picture, the app is amazing overall. I can see how teenagers are obsessed with this app. It’s much different from the usual social media. That means there’s no daily grind for the followers and views.
However, I think that this app will not become as popular as Instagram and Snapchat because it’s not as addicting. But for the time being, I would choose BeReal over any other social media platform.
