“You wanna be in my BeReal?”

   The phrase has been heard so many times during recent years. Whether in the mall or in class, people can be found rushing to take the infamous two-minute once-a-day picture. Why is there such commotion over such a small thing? Is BeReal’s message of posting the real you good or bad?

Pros

   Jr. Jenna Heck thinks seeing what friends are doing throughout the day can be enjoyable. “It’s fun seeing what everyone is doing or hearing funny stories of what people are doing when it goes off. It’s a very fun and funny way of doing things with friends at random times every day.”  Sometimes Heck is caught hanging out with friends at a football game, but other times she’s just standing in her yard with her dog.

   Heck feels that the pros outweigh the cons and that overall BeReal has a good influence on her life. “I don’t feel any pressure to do it on time or every day,” Heck said. 

   Sr. Malia Simmons enjoys BeReal the most when she’s out with friends. She said, “What I like most is posting when I’m actually out and with people because it makes it more interesting.” Simmons works at AMC. She often shares funny pictures of herself at work with her friends, which she enjoys posting more than pictures of her at home. 

   West Ottawa exchange student Chedna Dourou has been using BeReal since 2021. She likes seeing what her friends are doing and seeing their reactions to her post. Since coming to America, BeReal has provided a fun and easy way to keep connected with them. Dourou said, “It’s fun because it helps me stay in touch with my friends in France. I can see what they’re doing, and I can share my experiences in America with them.”

Cons 

   Though Simmons finds BeReal to be fun, she pointed out that RealMojis, live reactions given to posts, can be harmful. “I think they’re a good addition; however, it could have negative impacts on people that might not receive a lot since they are basically equal to likes on a post,” Simmons said. 

   Discovery is another component of BeReal that could have hidden dangers. Dourou said, “I don’t know if Discovery is really safe. I don’t think there are any restrictions on it.” Discovery is an area on BeReal where people can post their BeReals to everyone. Some of the pictures in Discovery can be mature. They’re not censored as they’re meant to “be real.”

   BeReal has some haters too. Zoebelle Bean is a freshman at Aquinas College and is opposed to BeReal. Bean said, “BeReal is a social media wannabe. We have too many platforms, why introduce another one?” Bean thinks BeReal’s message of positive self-image is too good to be true. She believes that, eventually, BeReal will “succumb to a violation of privacy, just as every other social media platform has.”

You Choose

   BeReal can be good if you use it responsibly. You don’t always have to post to everyone, and don’t take the RealMojis too seriously. Might it succumb to a violation of privacy as other platforms have? Maybe. Heck believes that BeReal will be relevant at least a little longer. “I feel most will keep doing it even if it’s not talked about very much.”

Gallery • 4 Photos

Heck poses with her friends for a BeReal at a football game