The new social media app BeReal, has blown up overnight, creating a new trend for teens to be a part of. Even though it was created in 2020, it became popular on TikTok in early-mid 2022 and has 73.5 million active users as of Aug. 2022. But the real question is, are people truly being real?

The app works like this: a notification is sent out at any time of day, and during that moment, you get a two-minute warning to take your picture. The app takes two pictures, one with the front camera and the other with the back camera. Once you take your BeReal for the day, only then can you see your friends’ pictures. After you post your BeReal, a notification goes out to your friends. The app also has features where you can react and comment on your friends’ pictures. But if you do not take your picture in that two-minute time frame, your friends will get a notification saying that you have posted late.

The whole point of BeReal is to capture a picture in that very moment and not wait until you are doing something worth taking a picture of. Other apps, like Snapchat and Instagram, are incredibly posed; you can take multiple different pictures with an assortment of filters. They do not want you to focus on being authentic, and it is engraved in our brains to solely care how many views and likes we acquire. Even though you can take your picture as many times as you would like on BeReal, your friends can see how many attempts you had to take it.

As the notification goes off, many students here at Oak Park High School have heard other students saying to their friends, ‘everyone be real!’ There is something in the fact that everyone gets the notification at the same time that creates a sense of unity. It is as if everyone feels included in one big ‘inside joke.’

To some people, BeReal is something that is now a part of their everyday lives. Like brushing your teeth, it has become a routine that when you get the notification, you take your picture. But, there’s a select number of people that do not see anything special about the app.

“I don’t think much of BeReal, it’s just another social media app to see people post pictures at a certain time of their day. But yeah, I do use it. Sometimes I feel like I should post at the time that the notification goes off since it’s the point of the app, but it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal if I don’t,” senior Marcus Nicolas said.

Many OPHS students have BeReal but do not see a point in it. Students have said that their friends have influenced them to get it so they do not feel left out. After they download the app, many people tend to forget about it and post when they get the chance. While there is nothing wrong with that, it just defeats the purpose of the app.

While BeReal differs from other apps like Instagram and Snapchat, they do have something in common. You can see people’s pictures from all around the world on the ‘Discover” page. This allows you to see how other people are using the app and what they are doing.

“I like the fact that the notification comes randomly and that it makes you pause even if you are doing something fun or not. Since I downloaded BeReal, I get to stay in touch with people that I do not talk to every day and I get to see what they are up to in a fun way. I enjoy scrolling and seeing [everyone’s] BeReal because I’m in a different time zone and I enjoy seeing what everyone is up to,” former Italian foreign exchange student Marta Tassinari said.

Without trying, BeReal has become a way that people across the world can interact with one another in a way that is different from other social media platforms.

The app has gone from being a quick interaction app to a sentimental way to connect with long-distance friends. Whether you decide to take your photo at the moment or not, students have come to an agreement that BeReal produces a quick endorphin rush throughout our brains, making people feel excited that they get to share a part of their day with one single picture.

Gallery • 6 Photos

BeReal post from Marta Tassinari