To BeReal or not to BeReal on social media?

BeReal is a new app that strikes down the perfectionism of social media by capturing photos with a two-minute countdown. Photo illustration by SIMRAH AHMAD, Staff Photographer

The essentials for a perfect social media post may include the following: a golden-hour sunkissed glow, pearly-white teeth and an outfit even Project Runway's Tim Gunn would approve of. Once the photo is taken, the affair is followed by hours of editing and configuring the perfect caption to gain adoration from followers.

But sadly, that process is far too time-consuming, according to Isa Alarcon, a freshman political science major. Instead, underneath the early morning fog of Los Angeles, Alarcon opted to snap a photo, half-awake and waiting in line for concert tickets, for one of her favorite posts to an app called BeReal.

"It was nine in the morning and I was waiting in line (for tickets to singer RUEL), because I'm that crazy,” Alarcon said. “I looked like I just woke up, and my friends were probably like, 'What is this girl doing at nine in the morning?'"

The photo-sharing app notifies users every day at a randomized time to take both a front and back facing photo of what they are doing. But here's the catch: there is a two-minute timer, and people can only see their friends' BeReal posts if they upload their own. 

Though created in 2020, BeReal has garnered increased attention in recent months as social media users ditch standards of perfectionism to hop on the spontaneous photo bandwagon. Alarcon told The Panther that since imperfection is something normally not seen on social media, the mobile platform allows for the glitz and glam to fade and reality to set in.

"BeReal is more authentic because there's no way to edit the pictures; there's no way really to fix yourself in those two minutes," Alarcon said. "It really is just being real. I remember looking really bad in pictures. And it's like, well, that's me and that's me being real."

When users open the application for the first time, a disclaimer pops up stating BeReal “won't make you famous” and advising users to stay on TikTok and Instagram if they’re seeking influencer status. The statement continues to clarify that the app is “not another social network,” which is further characterized by the omission of filters, a “like” function and a follower system from the interface. 

With 1.1 million downloads in the month of February alone, BeReal is manifesting a presence beyond Chapman at college campuses nationwide. One student from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. tweeted "BeReal is a noun and a verb at Georgetown University."

Chapman alumna Anna Balistreri (middle), captures her BeReal for the day with her roommates Kadi Tran (left) and Mia McCarthy (right) while on their flight to Hawaii. Photo courtesy of Anna Balistreri

Anna Balistreri, who graduated from Chapman this past fall with a degree in business administration, said that her favorite part about BeReal is how it mimics Instagram and Snapchat, which are her favorite social platforms.

"I thought (BeReal) was a really good combination of Snapchat memories and Instagram, which are my two top-used social media platforms," Balistreri said. "I love looking at my memories, and BeReal has that feature. I love connecting with different people on Instagram, so being able to add friends (on BeReal) is really similar as well."

Since BeReal captures a photo from your front camera — showing your face — and your back camera — showing your environment, Balistreri said her favorite post thus far was in March when she was boarding a plane to Hawaii for a vacation with her roommates.

"Over spring break, I got a notification while I was on the plane with my roommates," Balistreri said. "And we were about to take off for a spring break trip. So it was a cool back camera moment, because we were on the plane. It was the window of the plane, so you could see the sunset. And then it was a selfie of the three of us in the row."

While the most common BeReal posts would be people sitting in bed, doing homework or on their way to class, Malia Eppe, who graduated this past fall with a degree in business administration, said those mundane posts make the app all the more relatable. 

"You don't have to look and be your best on social media. It's okay to be casual," Eppe said. "Sometimes I'll be like, 'Oh my God, all I do is sit in bed,' and then I scroll on BeReal and I'm like, 'Oh my God, all my friends are also in bed.' It's what people do in real life."

Since BeReal has gained most of its popularity within the past couple months, Eppe said she only has a handful of friends on the app in comparison to platforms like Instagram and Snapchat where she has hundreds of followers. Not only does the close-knit community on the app create a more comfortable environment to show her true self, but she said that it also helps her ability to not focus on the statistics of her posts — such as the number of “likes” or comments they get. 

"When I go on (BeReal), I know I'm not gonna see all these edited things and be questioning if I look good or see things that are going to make me feel bad about myself," Eppe said, comparing the experience to using other social media apps. "I'm not gonna go on there and stare at how many ‘likes’ I have. It's really just an enjoyable experience to scroll through."

While the worry of accumulating “likes” is removed from the app, users on BeReal can react and comment on their friends' posts by taking a photo of themselves, called a "RealMoji," showing their visual reaction — something Eppe frequently takes advantage of. 

"I think the fact that you can react to other people's stuff with a picture that you take right then and there is so funny," Eppe said. "Every single one, I will just take a picture, and I'll (have) a straight face, and I think it's funny."

Anna Balistreri captures a BeReal post while at the gym with Pablo Arias. Photo courtesy of Anna Balistreri

Since the BeReal notification can chime on your phone at any minute of the day, even at 8 a.m. when most college students haven't even tackled the schedule on their planner, Eppe said her main criticism is that it might not be an accurate reflection of her entire day. 

"That's one thing I don't like about the app is when (the notification) comes up, and I'm like, 'Oh, I'm doing something later. It'd be cool if I took the picture when I was with my friends later,'" Eppe said. "And then I either forget, or if you post late, (BeReal) always says, 'You are eight hours late.' So I feel like it's fun that you can take (photos) every day, but it's not accurate."

Whether it's taking a photo sitting in front of her work-from-home setup or at the gym with her friends, Balistreri said she hopes people realize how the power of simplicity and authenticity can create a healthy mindset on social media that results in a more enjoyable experience.

"I think (BeReal is) definitely gonna be around for a while,” Balistreri said. “I think a lot of people are going to try it out. And if they're anything like me, they're going to keep it because it's fun."