Four weeks ago, I uploaded my first BeReal. I had heard murmurs about the new social media platform all summer and finally decided to try the app myself. After all, the concept HAD piqued my interest: a social media platform designed to expose the raw and unfiltered truths of life? Say no more. 

After four weeks of “Being Real,” I can confidently say that while the app is far from perfect, it is one of the few social media platforms that edges towards authenticity. 

Created by Alexis Barreyat in 2020, BeReal is a social media platform that allows users “to discover who their friends really are.” Once a day, BeReal will send out a notification prompting users to post a photo of themselves at that moment—no filters, no enhancements and once one chooses to respond to the notification within the 24 hour window, they are only allowed 2-minutes to take their picture leaving little time to do hair and makeup. 

The genius of BeReal is that it provides a window into the daily lives of others. Since downloading BeReal, I’ve gotten to see a new side of my friends. Unlike other social media platforms, BeReal promotes honesty and sincerity. 

Contrary to Instagram and TikTok, BeReal is not a popularity contest. For me, posting on Instagram is stress-inducing. I constantly compare the amount of likes I receive on my posts with those of my friends, hyper-analyzing my pictures as I rack my brain, trying to figure out why my photos always flop. Am I not good enough? Instagram seems to think so.

But my experience using BeReal has been stress free. Without the added worry of likes and followers, BeReal allows me to be vulnerable, without being judged or graded.

BeReal does not give its users the ability to add filters to photos either. I’m tired of the staged, glorified images that cloud my Instagram feed—I want to see my friends for who they truly are. The beauty of BeReal is its lack of glamor. So, the next time you post on social media, be honest, be candid, BeReal.