A new kid on the social media block, the “BeReal” app encourages goofy, candid photos of everyday life and may just be a step towards promoting realness, per the name.

“BeReal” is a relatively new social media platform facilitating the spontaneity and unfiltered truthfulness of reality. Each day, users receive a notification asking for a picture of whichever activity they happen to be doing at the moment. Mutuals on the app see each others’ photos— the app doesn’t involve a required public posting function. 

And that’s it: capturing pure moments. There is no room for the practiced, posed photos that typically dominate the social media landscape.

The app allows its users to see that not everyone’s lives are as perfect and adventurous as they may pretend. People get to see what their friends’ average day looks like. Seeing that someone else is doing homework or is watching a show sitting on the couch can bring a sense of comfort and relatability. 

“BeReal” introduces a healthier approach to using social media. 

Since users only post once a day they aren’t inclined to spend hours on the app as they do with others. On the app there isn’t much to look at besides friends’ “BeReals” and commenting or reacting with a photo, which doesn’t take too much time. This allows students to be more productive since they aren’t using all their time on social media.

Most people understand the negative impact social media has on young people. Constantly consuming photoshopped reality pushed as truth causes a detachment to what is normal. This is another area in which “BeReal” improves upon. 

“BeReal” creates closer connections between teenagers and sets new realistic standards for social media as a whole.