Does BeReal really encourage us to be authentic?

Time to BeReal.

Most of us enjoy getting a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of our friends. A daily text message might be too much (especially for the ones who take three business days to respond), so how do we casually stay connected with each other on a daily basis? 

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BeReal, a new social media app that’s become wildly popular among millennials and Gen Z, might provide the answer. You’ve probably heard of the app by now, either from friends who’ve raved about it or thanks to its astronomical rise in popularity (it recently clocked 10,000,000 daily users, when this time last year it had only 10,000). 

So what is BeReal?

I have to admit, to begin with, I was a tad confused but BeReal is actually quite simple. At a random time each day, you will receive a notification to ‘Capture your BeReal’. From then, you have two minutes to take a picture of what’s in front of you and of yourself. During this time you can retake your picture as many times as you want.

As it’s being uploaded, you can add a quick caption and then you can see what all your friends have posted (but only once your picture is uploaded). At a random time the next day, the prior day’s content will be deleted and you’ll receive a new notification to ‘Capture your BeReal’. 

When my brother first told me about the app (he clearly keeps up with the trends more than I do), I thought it was just another one of those apps we’d all use for three weeks before never opening again. It wasn’t until my friend spammed our group chat with messages nagging us to jump on board that I went ahead and downloaded it. I guess you could say I got ‘realed’ in. 

What’s all the fuss about?

You might be thinking BeReal bears similarities with Snapchat, an app popular for its impermanent form of communication. But the main drawcard of BeReal is it encourages everyone to literally drop what they’re doing, capture their life at the same point in time and take a look into someone else’s world. 

Like many of us, my weekdays are jam-packed with work and study, which means I go months without seeing my friends and knowing what they’re up to (the joys of adulthood). So being able to see what everyone is doing every day, no matter how mundane, is a cute little reminder that we’re still connected while living the boring but realistic bits of life. 

But does it really encourage you to be authentic?

In an era where casual posting has become not-so-casual but deliberately curated, two minutes to capture your life forces you to abandon any aesthetics. It really pushes you out of your comfort zone and encourages vulnerability, especially if you’ve just had a shower and are sitting in bed with a makeup-free face surrounded by too many plushies (yes, it’s happened before).

When it comes to crafting a visually pleasing BeReal, there isn’t much you can do to achieve this within the 120-second timeframe. And if you do, you’re probably missing the point of the app. One key feature of BeReal is you can only delete your post after you’ve posted it. By limiting the number of posts each day to two attempts all within two minutes, the app almost celebrates the imperfections and the mundanity of life.

It’s okay if you don’t have flawless hair or the lighting isn’t quite right. And I think this is what makes the app such a success; we’re seeing people in their rawest form with no filters or retakes. I really enjoy that you can’t see anyone’s posts until you’ve shared your own (in other words, you can’t start snooping until you’ve done your part).

Again, it really does encourage you to show your real, everyday life, whether that’s a chaotically messy office desk or a face covered in pimple patches. But of course, what you put in is what you get when it comes to having an authentic experience on the app. As much as BeReal encourages authenticity, you do have to play your part. 

For example, if you’re not around your phone when the notification comes in and the two minutes pass, you miss your chance to capture your BeReal within the timeframe. Even though you can upload after this time, by doing so you miss out on the collective, of-the-moment experience the app promotes.

BeReal also has an interesting, if somewhat controversial, feature. When your posts are late, friends will receive a notification saying you posted late. On one hand, we can see it as the app discouraging us from posting late and keeping with the rules, but on the other, it does seem a bit like public shaming. 

For me, on the odd occasion I’ve missed out, I sometimes don’t bother posting late, firstly because I don’t want to attract unnecessary attention when the notification appears for my friends but also because I feel like not posting on time just defeats the purpose of the app. 

Having tried the app for a week or two now, I feel it does encourage you to be real if you play by the rules. For my friends who I don’t regularly catch up with, it’s cute to see them enjoying a walk during their lunch break or working hard on a new project. My takeaway? If you’re ready to drop everything come notification time, BeReal lets you share your life – and peek into others’ lives – quite effortlessly and authentically.

For more on social media and authenticity, head here.