Once a day, millions of phone screens worldwide light up with a notification alerting the user that it is “time to BeReal.”  Upon receiving the message, individuals post a photo of themselves and their immediate surroundings, given a randomly selected two-minute window.  French entrepreneurs Mr. Alexis Barreyat and Mr. Kévin Perreau founded BeReal in 2020 to encourage user authenticity and spontaneity, according to bereal.com.  However, the relatively new social media app instills a sense of social pressure and lack of privacy, which could ultimately be detrimental to the mental health of impressionable teenagers.

While the photo-sharing app initially became popular on college campuses, BeReal now has over 21.6 million monthly active users, according to searchlogistics.com.  Branding itself as an alternative to social media apps such as Instagram and TikTok, BeReal further cultivates the public’s growing obsession with garnering an online presence.  Such constant tethering to the digital world provokes social pressure and comparison among peers, exacerbating mental health issues.

In fact, respondents in a global survey led by the McKinsey Health Institute reveal that social media usage provokes a fear of missing out (FOMO), which could lead to anxiety and depression among Generation Z (Gen Z), according to mckinsey.com.  Although FOMO is not a diagnosable psychological condition, the term describes the emotional phenomenon users experience when browsing social networking sites, according to ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Therefore, the platform sparks FOMO as users continuously observe the lives of their peers from behind their phone screens.  Dr. Natalie Christine Dattilo, the founder of Priority Wellness Group and instructor at Harvard Medical School, explained the prevailing role that FOMO plays in social media presence.

“FOMO includes both the perception of missing out, which triggers anxiety, and compulsive behaviors, like checking and refreshing sites, to maintain social connections,” Dr. Dattilo said, according to forbes.com.  “It is closely related to the fear of social exclusion or ostracism, which existed long before social media.”

Ultimately, social comparison is an inherent aspect of human behavior; however, BeReal and other social media platforms heighten this tendency.  Although the app’s mission to promote authenticity is commendable, users usually expose the finest points of their lives, adding to the media’s ideological standard of reality.  Such social constructs and comparisons lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem as individuals measure their lives against these idealized representations.

Like many social media platforms, BeReal aims to hook and engage the public for extended periods.  In fact, due to the app’s unpredictable nature, some individuals actually look forward to receiving the BeReal notification, according to slate.com.  Such dependency on and infatuation with surveilling life on social media could lead to disconnection from the real world, further impairing one’s mental health.

Today, the internet has evolved into a realm where filters are routine practice.  Therefore, although BeReal bears underlying consequences, the app offers users some sense of authenticity due to its lack of these features.  While apps like Instagram and TikTok produce curated and polished content, BeReal takes a more casual approach to photo-sharing, according to bereal.com.  However, it is up to the user to determine how they want to express themselves publicly.

While unfiltered apps such as BeReal are a step in the right direction, it is crucial to spread awareness of the potential risks and benefits associated with each social media platform.  BeReal requires individuals to exercise discretion and mindfulness when engaging with the app, but young users may not know how to do so.  Media developers could consider implementing measures to mitigate the adverse effects of social media platforms by promoting a healthier and more supportive online environment.  Perhaps individuals could benefit from a pop-up notification that alerts them of their screen time on a particular app each day.  This way, they can limit their screen time and media use.  

In an age when people rely heavily on social media, it is crucial to scrutinize the potential impacts that social platforms have on mental well-being.  Such superficial portrayals of reality contribute to Gen Z’s infatuation with appearance and aesthetics and can thus compel future generations to lose sight of unfiltered ways of living.  If apps like BeReal continue to soar in app store charts, the underlying consequences of the media will only escalate.  Ultimately, the only manner of handling the overuse of social media platforms is not by introducing more addictive apps; instead, individuals must find ways to be real off of the phone screen. 

Featured Image by Ana Patricio ’24