A teacher is instructing their class when all of a sudden, they are interrupted by a class full of excited teenagers. After a student shouts, “Be Real just went off!” The class all pull out their phones, rushing to post on time.

Be Real is a new social media app that has captivated the attention of students. The app’s premise is simple: once a day, at varying times, all users are sent a notification that it is time for them to post an unedited picture of whatever they are doing at that moment. Users then have two minutes to take two pictures.

In the first, they pose for the camera and take a picture of themselves. In the second, the camera faces the opposite direction and users are able to photograph both directions simultaneously. 

Be Real was created as a response to the current state of social media, which is filled with pictures that create a false narrative of what a realistic teenage and young adult life is like. Be real was originally released in 2020 however, it started to gain popularity with many students in the summer of 2022. It has become so popular that in 2022 alone, the app’s

downloads have increased by 315% since its creation two years prior (NPR).

One of the app’s most alluring features is its authenticity, according to sophomore Addie Riffel.

“[Be real]  is authentic because everyone has it at a certain time and you can’t fake it by editing the pictures or using filters,” Riffel

said. “It shows what people are really doing and shows that everyone isn’t always out doing something cool.” 

While seeing others participate in everyday activities can be refreshing, sophomore Porter White particularly enjoys the app when his Be Real notification goes off while he is doing something exciting.

“The best Be Real I’ve ever taken was when I took one when I was on top of a mountain,” White said. 

On many social media apps, the pressure to always look your best is intense. This same pressure isn’t something that is associated with posting on Be Real, which Riffel finds very refreshing. 

“It only happens one time a day so you aren’t on it all of the time. I use it less than I use any other social media,” Riffel said. “There also isn’t the same amount of pressure to look good on it like there is on things like Instagram.” 

Riffel hopes the app is here to stay.

“I think people will keep using Be Real for a long time,” Riffel said. “Everyone I know really likes it and I don’t think anyone will stop using it any time soon. It’s just really fun and it isn’t stressful or anything so I don’t see why people would stop using it.”