A Gen Z’s guide to 'BeReal': What is it and how do you use it?
Despite living in Zuckerberg's world, BeReal is a social media application that skyrocketed from the ashes, and is here to stay.
Currently one of the top-ranked social networking apps on the app store, BeReal is the antidote to when social media can get just a bit too excessive. “Your friends for real,” the slogan makes it a unique way to uncover who your friends are in their daily life.
Founded in 2020 by Alexis Barreyat, BeReal soared with a whopping 315% increase in users by January 2022. But what’s all the hype about? Bazaar breaks it down for you…
What is BeReal and how do you use it?
The latest buzz to capture the internet’s attention is a photo-sharing app that was developed with the hope of bringing authenticity back into social media selfies.
BeReal prompts users to take raw, unfiltered pictures of themselves and their surroundings to give friends a glimpse into the happenings of their life at a specific moment.
This candid, very anytime, anywhere app will give you a notification at any unpredictable time of the day, and you have to follow up with an almost instantaneous post. The air of surprise is the hidden motive behind BeReal’s purpose of originality. If you don’t complete this daily challenge, you will be penalised in a way where you won’t have access to what your friends are doing.
One of the major gripes of other social media platforms is that they allow users to maniacally edit their pictures before posting; this one is like a needle in a haystack where you have exactly two minutes to give your hair a quick fix, and smile wide for the camera, devoid of any manipulation. You can however take plenty of retakes, although fellow BeRealer’s will be notified.
A breath of fresh air; you can showcase your life for exactly how it is sans the sugar-coat. React on posts with Realmojis that capture your facial expression instead of traditional emojis used on every other social media platform. Explore what people from all over the world are doing with the discovery tab. The profile page holds a calendar with memories, a fond way of reminiscing moments from the past.
So…how do you download BeReal?
BeReal is available on both the iOS and Android app store. In this technological world helmed by social media giants like Snapchat and Instagram, new start-ups like BeReal try to tap into this otherwise monopolized market. Still, the question stands do they really have the prowess to capture the audience’s attention over time?
Only time will tell.
Note: This article originally appeared on Harper's Bazaar Arabia.
Lead image: Leonie Hanne/Instagram
