You may remember BeReal, the social media platform that gained popularity in 2022, in which users post one photo per day at a random time. They gained traction largely because of their anti-Instagram motto: instead of curating their feeds for perceived perfection, users were urged to “Be Real”.
Like many, I was a regular on this app until its popularity faded. In an era where social media is made to be addictive and cause comparison, BeReal offers the antithesis of this: a platform built to be your true and authentic self. This is exactly why I believe it deserves a comeback!
Redownloading BeReal
This past summer, I redownloaded BeReal to stay connected with my hometown friends, as we went our separate ways for college. It felt special to see my long-distance friends in their daily lives; it felt like I was experiencing it with them.
Although we are all scattered throughout the country, we are interconnected by the two-minute daily alarm stating, “⚠️Time to BeReal⚠️ 2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!” Even when life got busy, and I sometimes did not have time to call to catch up with them, I knew I could rely on that daily notification to stay up to date with their lives.
I have grown to appreciate the authenticity of BeReal through redownloading the app. In the current culture of toxic comparison on social media, we need online spaces that encourage you to be yourself. Some people argue that BeReal failed for a reason.
It was once one of the most popular social media platforms, but it seemed to die off. It is true that the app can be “boring” at times and lacks the exciting features that other apps utilize to catch the users’ attention. However, being ‘boring’ is actually the point! Not everything needs to be entertaining to be meaningful. Sometimes, all we need is that human connection rather than doomscrolling.
BeReal’s mission is to make social media unfiltered. In their words, “It’s the only platform where real people post every day, so you can make real connections with those who really matter.” There are no filters, no retakes, and everyone is given the same time slot to post their images each day, so there is no time for curation. The one post per day allows for a low-pressure environment, and the goal is to foster real connections with people.
Other Social Media Are Not Looking Out For Us
While BeReal promotes connection, other social media platforms, like Instagram, do the opposite. In March, a California jury found Meta (owner of Instagram) and Google negligent in social media regarding young people. The social media platforms harmed a young user, in this case, and led to her mental distress.
NPR writes, “[Meta’s apps] were deliberately built to be addictive, and the companies’ executives knew this and failed to protect their youngest users… while the financial punishment is minuscule for companies each worth trillions of dollars, the decision is still consequential. It represents the first time a jury has found that social media apps should be treated as defective products for being engineered to exploit the developing brains of kids and teenagers.”
This ruling was a landmark decision, acknowledging that companies purposefully make their apps so addictive despite the impact on mental health. It is no secret that social media harms us, but seeing that these companies deliberately make it harmful for a profit is disheartening.
Like many people, social media has definitely affected my mental health. I am constantly comparing myself to others I see online. Whether it is an influencer or one of my peers, seeing their perfectly curated lives online can lead to some comparison.
I have taken charge of this by limiting my social media intake. I’ve tried deleting apps like TikTok to try to combat this, and I have seen a difference. I have noticed I have more time to pursue hobbies and spend time with friends. I also noticed that I do not feel anxious as much.
It is clear that most social media platforms do not have their users’ best interests in mind, but BeReal disrupts this by removing addictive features and encouraging users to be their real and raw selves. For example, when I scrolled down to the bottom of my feed today, the message read, “Time to put the phone down, Ella. The real world is calling your name!” I have shifted my desire to connect with others online to BeReal instead, and can confidently say it is the best social media alternative out there.
Now Let’s Bring It Back!
I have a BeReal streak of almost 200 days, and receiving the daily “Time to BeReal: 2 min left to capture a BeReal” notification reminds me to be genuine. Seeing the day-to-day lives of my hometown friends, and my UCSB friends I have influenced into downloading, has helped me feel more connected to those in my life.
Authenticity and connection matter in a world of so much conflict and toxicity. The solution may not be to delete social media altogether, but to redefine how we use it. If we want platforms that value real-life connections rather than perfection, BeReal is a step in the right direction.