BeReal offers a healthier way to post on social media. Students love the idea of seeing everyone leading normal lives without filters changing the look of content and people only showing the best snippets of their lives.

“What I like about BeReal is that it’s not toxic. I feel like you can’t really be toxic on BeReal and it’s just like, it’s pretty positive and it’s pretty fun. A little part of your day and different people are doing it and it’s just cool to know that everyone’s doing something simultaneously at the same time. It’s really cool to think about what you’re all doing in that moment,” sophomore Maycee Pidcock said.

Every day at a different time BeReal will send out a notification to everyone. Everyone will take their BeReals within 2 minutes, otherwise the app will show that someone took their BeReal late.

“I mean, you’re being real. That’s so corny, but it’s such a true concept about how social media itself has just been used for ages as a platform where we only show the best of ourselves or only the parts of ourselves that we want other people to see. But when we’re given two minutes to just stop and like take a photo of whatever we’re doing. It’s nice to see other people and it’s like you guys live normal lives and I live a normal life and we’re normal people. We aren’t just this face that we only allow other people to see when we’re on other social media platforms,” sophomore Izzy Wesloh said.

People like the concept of BeReal because it takes away the harmful aspect that can come with other social media such as Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook because they edit the content to show only the best parts.  Since everyone takes their BeReals simultaneously without filters, it makes it look less like everyone leads perfect happy lives.

“One thing I’m not a huge fan of is that I tend to only show the parts of myself that I want other people to see because I’m scared of being judged. But you can’t hide that kind of thing when you have two minutes to take a photo. So I feel like it’s helped a lot with allowing myself to be more open to some of the people I know,” Wesloh said.

Wesloh also thinks the app made her more comfortable with opening up to people she knows because she keeps her friends limited unlike instagram.

“I tend to keep my friends on the app somewhat limited as to the people that I’m already good friends with because if you’re letting too many people be friends with you, then it brings back more of that Instagram urge to only show the best parts of yourself and it’s like, no, you gotta be real to your friends,” Wesloh said.

But not everyone feels the need to “be real.” Sophomore Mallory Looney prefers to simply watch when BeReal sends out the notification.

“My family doesn’t like social media for safety reasons, like having instagram was a really big stretch for us, but I also think it’s more fun in theory [to not have the app], like being on the other side of it. Knowing myself, I’d get stressed out about it or forget to do it or something,” Looney said.

While BeReal might not be for everyone, it is popular. More people talk about BeReal than actually have it. Out of 186 students who responded, only 53.8% of them have BeReal.

“I think that BeReal just got popular so fast, because there were other people like me who are like, ‘Well, I’m nervous about showing these aspects of my life to people out of fear of judgment,’ and just go for it, man. Just do it,” Wesloh said.

Posting quickly and within the time limits feels more honest and follows the purpose of the app. It helps people feel more comfortable with their normal life and they don’t always have to live the dream.

“I mean, if you put your makeup on, get ready, then drive to the ocean real quick to take your BeReal, what’s the point?” Pidcock said.