An app called BeReal is the newest social media trend of the year, and it’s changing the way young people use social media. BeReal was released in early 2022 by Kevin Perreau and former GoPro employee Alexis Barreyat.

Once a day, at a random time, BeReal will send a notification to all users’ phones that it’s time to BeReal. Users have two minutes to take the BeReal, which is a photo from both their front and rear cameras, and after two minutes the post will be shown as late.

When scrolling through BeReal, users can react or comment on others’ posts. Users can react with five preset selfies and there is an option to post a live reaction. Users can also discuss posts in the comment section.

Tyanne Bartel (24) said, “You get the chance to literally be real and [you] get to be yourself without filters or worrying about how others may view you.”

Apps like Instagram and Snapchat are popular for good reason, but users see unrealistic posts with filters that perfect their looks. These posts create unrealistic expectations of life and pressure to post something that will get as many likes as possible rather than the real situation of the post. 

Elly Kennedy (25) said, “That’s the whole point of BeReal […] in Snapchat people can retake it and post the one that they look best in, but on BeReal you can see how many times people retake it.”

BeReal’s unique approach to social media is slowly changing the stigma that everyone’s life is perfect, and helping users, especially teens and young adults, share their real lives and be comfortable in their own lives. No person is always doing something that’s worthy of being posted on Instagram, so BeReal bridges the gap between everyday life and social media.