Social media is universally known for fostering a toxic environment. People get caught up in filters, editing, and trying to make themselves look a certain way that is unrealistic. Conversely, a popular app called “Be Real” is slowly reversing these habits. BeReal is an app that notifies its users at a random time once a day to post a picture of themselves and what they are doing. A notification will pop up on users’ phones all around the world telling them to “be real.” Upon clicking on the notification, users are faced with a two-minute countdown to take their picture.

Taking a photo on BeReal is completely different from any other platform because it takes a picture with both front and back cameras, this feature really differentiates BeReal from other platforms. The app encourages users to be more “real” by showing their followers how many times they retook their picture. This app’s dynamic helps people see a more authentic version of each other on the internet which is something other apps don’t offer.

BeReal is unlike other social media platforms because there are no “like” or “repost” features. The app only allows comments and “realmojis,” which is a hybrid of an emoji and a selfie. Instead of commenting an emoji as a reaction on other platforms, BeReal allows users to show their actual face and reactions to their friends’ posts. This face-to-face reaction is more genuine and helps users feel more connected to each other.

Another feature Be Real is known for is that only photos taken within the app are able to be posted. This is different from the majority of other social media platforms, which allows users to upload photos taken outside the app. Most other social media platforms allow users to upload photos from other sources. This feature completely changes the game, extremely edited and filtered pictures cannot make their way onto BeReal, creating a more realistic environment that other platforms cannot provide.

Sophomore Emily Mendoza is a Be Real user, and she feels that the app is less addictive than other platforms.

“I spend about an hour on Be Real, and probably about ten hours on other apps,” Mendoza said.

Since most people seem to get stuck on apps for hours at a time, BeReal tries to decrease this by not having an “infinite scroll” feature. Though there is an explore page within the app, it is not very enticing to most users because they do not know who the people are on the explore page.

Unrealistic standards within social media are what makes most people feel the need to be doing something cool or to constantly look like a supermodel. Sophomore Gia Santoro does not have BeReal, but she feels that most social media apps are harmful in this way.

“I think people spend too much time on them (social media apps) and their platforms that create unrealistic beauty standards,” Santoro said.

Unrealistic standards are what create toxicity in other social media apps, andBeReal is slowly trying to end these standards to show that it is normal not to be doing the most exciting thing when the notification goes off.

Though social media as a whole is toxic, newer apps that aim to reduce this toxicity are starting to take over. BeReal is helping to create a less addictive and less toxic relationship with users by offering different features within the app that make it harder to be stuck on an infinite loop of content. The app’s users are crushing these unrealistic standards every time they post and expose to each other the reality of their daily lives. So next time the notification goes off, remember to be real.