Social media has come such a long way throughout the years. Whether it’s Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Tiktok, people are constantly giving others a glimpse into their lives. What someone posts can tell others so much about them, even without the need for words. BeReal, an app created in 2019 that has been gaining loads of attention recently, allows people to do just that in real time. It plays on the concept “a picture is worth a thousand words.”  

   In further detail, BeReal sends out spontaneous notifications letting users know to capture a photo of what they are doing at that very moment. Pictures taken on BeReal have a two minute time limit, but don’t worry: if the two minutes are up and the photo hasn’t been taken, late posts are allowed. Additionally, photographs are shot with both the front and back camera at the same time; this way, the person viewing the photo sees both perspectives. 

   On the other end, friends viewing the pictures taken on BeReal can even send out different reactions. These reactions consist of different emojis, such as a thumbs up, smiley face, sad face, shocked, normal, and laughing faces, and more. Users can also react by taking a picture of themselves which is called a RealMoji. For instance, if someone were to send out a BeReal that gives off a happy vibe, then their friend can react with a smiley face emoji or send a selfie of them smiling.

  Sophomore Marina Conklin, an active user of the app, voices that “BeReal is a realistic form of social media that allows people to post without filters, editing, or anything that is fake. It helps show the reality of people’s lives, which makes it stand out from other kinds of social media.” Elyse Temes, another sophomore who uses BeReal, states that “BeReal is a really fun app. You have the opportunity to share more of your personal life with your friends… Although it’s something so small that takes such a short amount of time, seeing what your friends are up to can make even the slightest, positive impact [on] someone’s day.”

   All in all, BeReal is a new way of sharing moments with others, one that removes all filters and exposes the raw. Its take on connecting with friends is genuine, fun, and like no other.