Time to BeReal. 2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!

As BeReal has quickly taken over social media in an attempt to dismantle the “fakeness” of other social media platforms, like Instagram and Snapchat, it has also very quickly taken over campus. The exciting nature of the app makes it all the more appealing, not to mention that one gets to check in on what all their friends are doing. It is not only a great way to connect with new friends but also to keep up with old friends who may go to different schools. It is hard to imagine how quickly BeReal has taken off and how popular it truly is. However, despite its popularity, the almost utopian nature of the app makes it seem like a scene out of a comedy.

The other day, I was eating lunch in Pit with my friends when the BeReal notification came out. As I always do, I informed my friends, “Guys, it is time to be real.” We all pulled out our phones to snap a picture and returned to our meals. As I looked around the dining hall when the notification went off, nearly every single person looked down at their phones, opened up the app and snapped a picture of them eating lunch. 

The premise of the app, BeReal, is that you have two minutes to take a picture of what you are doing right at that moment. Everyone who has the app receives the notification at the same time, so the simultaneous nature of almost every single person in the dining hall pulling out their phones and taking a picture of their friends and their food is truly hilarious. The BeReal notification also went off on Friday, Sept. 30 at the University’s volleyball game against St. John’s,​​ and the same scene occurred. Everyone pulled out their phones to “be real.” However funny it is, the app is amazing in terms of connecting with people on another level.

There are some issues with the app, especially in the case of people waiting to post their BeReal. The genuineness of the app is lost when people wait to post until they are doing something exciting during their day. However, BeReal can also push people to better themselves and be more adventurous. 

There was a notification on Food Truck Friday, and a notification also went off during a rock climbing event a few weeks ago. There were many people who made an effort to climb to the top of the rock wall so they could then take their BeReal. Although not entirely genuine in nature, this app can push people out of their comfort zone. 

An interesting way that the University could utilize BeReal is as an admissions technique, either through an actual BeReal account that potential and active students could add, or through Instagram as a “week in the life’’ but with BeReal. Because BeReal has not only taken over campus at universities but also at high schools across the country, it is an effective and innovative way to connect with prospective students. 

BeReal is an amazing app that allows students and friends to connect in more authentic ways. Although the BeReal notification might evoke feelings of a scene out of a dystopian movie or a comedy from afar, it is very fun to partake in. Furthermore, the University can recognize the popularity of the app on campus and collect great examples of students “being real” either at the library, Holy Grounds or at Food Truck Friday and market it towards prospective students on existing admissions social media accounts.