It’s Time to BeReal!

Photo fastcompany.com

The notification pops up on your phone as you fill with adrenaline, racing against the two-minute clock as it counts down while you scramble to capture whatever moment you are in before time runs out. With the push of a button, two pictures are taken simultaneously with the front and back camera of your phone and posted for all your friends to see. And just like that, it is over.  

So, What is BeReal, Really?
Photo from BeReal App

BeReal is the social media app taking everyone by storm. Though it has been available for quite some time on the app store, it just began gaining popularity in the spring of 2022. Now, if you somehow do not know about BeReal, VALLEY is going to teach you all about it. BeReal is a photo-sharing app in which, just once a day at a random time, you have two minutes to take a picture of whatever you are doing—no matter where you are. The button you press to capture your image takes a picture with your front and back camera at the same time, giving your followers a serious look into whatever you are up to. 

Clearly, the entire point of the app is to, you know, be real. A couple of things to understand about the app is that unlike other social media platforms you do not necessarily have a profile in the typical sense. So, you can add friends and share your username with people, but no one can go and have a stalk of what you have been posting—that is only for you to see in your BeReal archival calendar. There is a “Following” page, which is the main page of the app so you and all your friends can see what you have been up to, and a “Discovery” page that showcases BeReals from random people around the world. Also, you cannot see what your friends have posted until you have posted your BeReal first. There is the option to post late if you missed the notification, but how real is that? “Liking” on BeReal is also a bit different from other apps you may be used to. BeReal users get the option of taking little selfies known as “Instant Realmojis” to react to friends’ posts or comment underneath them. 

Photo posted by @evvybabe on BeReal
Notifications are essential.

We know there are a lot of people out there who prefer to have “do not disturb” turned on so as to not be bothered by constant texts and notifications, but BeReal is the one app where not getting a notification takes all the fun out of it. Never knowing when or where you will be when the BeReal notification goes off is the spontaneity and excitement that sets the app apart from any other social platform that is out right now. Even though most people hope to be out or doing something fun when it goes off so as to capture the best moment, taking a BeReal when you are laying in bed or sitting in class is just as rewarding. The entire point of the app is to be a place you can post when you are not dressed up or putting a filter on—it brings back entertainment to the mundane and sincerity to social media. 

BeReal with Us

Essentially, it is always going to be difficult to be authentic on social media no matter what app you post on. BeReal is a healthy break from aspects of social media that have the potential to be toxic while still offering the satisfaction of having an online presence. It is a new concept and a refreshing platform that puts less pressure on what you look like and emphasizes just capturing memories and moments from everyday life.

We want to know what you think about BeReal or if you have it! Tweet us, @VALLEYmag with your thoughts and any fun BeReals you have taken! We’d love to see it!

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