story by Jade Cupples

There’s nothing I love more than seeing what my friends are up to, and letting my friends know what I’m up to. There are so many apps to do this with – some might say too many; Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter (I refuse to call it X) TikTok, and many more. Although some of these apps can accomplish more than others, they all essentially provide the same thing. They let you connect and interact with your friends, share content to your followers, and keep some sort of record of all your posts and/or memories.

But there are so many of these…made up rules surrounding social media. Whether that’s how much you post, how often you post, how many likes and shares or how it should look. None of which are real, of course; these apps are designed to be used whenever, wherever and however. But we'd be lying to ourselves if we said there aren't these invisible rules that control how people post and interact on social media.
Growing up with social media and having conversations with friends who use the same apps, I’ve learned what might hold some people back. At what point am I oversharing? How often is too often? Is this too real? And listen, I'm not saying that people need to post everything they're thinking and doing all the time as if they're the President of the United States or something, but I wish there wasn't any stigma associated with posting every day, or posting moments that aren't crazy exciting.

This is why I love BeReal; it breaks away from the overly polished and curated nature of traditional social media. Every day it sends out one notification at a random time, which changes daily, and gives you two minutes to take and upload a photo – no filters, no warning when. I personally find this more exciting than apps like Snapchat and Instagram. Not only does it force everyone to post every day, but the random daily notification adds this sense of surprise and spontaneity, making it feel more like a fun challenge.

Another feature I appreciate is that if you miss the two-minute BeReal window, you're unable to view your friends' posts until you upload your own. Not only does this hold everyone accountable, but it also fosters a stronger sense of community and shared experience. It’s just such a fun and unique way to share and interact with friends. It adds this unexpected twist to social media that I haven't encountered before. By the end of the year, you'll have a saved archive of moments from every day of the year.

The Rise of BeReal and Why It’s Just…Better