TL;DR: BeReal started as the "anti-Instagram," promising a raw, unfiltered look at life. But with recent updates—including ads, celebrity accounts, and "bonus" posts—the pressure to be "real" on a schedule is starting to feel a lot like every other social media chore. It’s safer than TikTok in terms of discovery, but the FOMO (fear of missing out) is baked directly into the code.
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If you’ve ever seen your teen suddenly scramble to take a photo of their homework and their face at the same time while yelling, "It’s time!", you’ve witnessed the BeReal notification.
The premise is simple: once a day, at a completely random time, every user receives a notification: ⚠️ Time to BeReal. ⚠️ You have two minutes to take a photo. The app uses both the front and back cameras simultaneously, so there’s no hiding behind the camera. You show what you’re looking at and what you look like.
If you post on time, you get to see what your friends are doing. If you don’t post, you can’t see theirs. If you post "late," the app snitches on you, labeling your post with exactly how many hours behind schedule you were.
In a world of Instagram filters and perfectly staged TikTok dances, BeReal felt like a breath of fresh air. It’s the digital equivalent of "come as you are." Kids love it because:
- Low Production Value: There’s no "Ohio" level of weirdness required (well, usually). You don't need a ring light; you just need to be there.
- The Shared Moment: Everyone in the friend group gets the notification at the same time. It creates a brief, synchronized "digital huddle."
- The "Lurker" Tax: You can’t just scroll and judge without participating. To see the "tea," you have to contribute your own boring moment.
Ask our chatbot about why Gen Alpha is moving away from traditional social media
Here is where the "no-BS" part comes in. BeReal was recently sold to a company called Voodoo (known for "hyper-casual" games that are basically just delivery systems for ads). Since then, the app's soul has been under construction.
What used to be a once-a-day check-in is now pushing for more "engagement." They’ve added "RealPeople" (celebrities and influencers) and "RealBrands." They also introduced "Bonus BeReals," where if you post your first one on time, you can post two more later.
Suddenly, the app that was supposed to stop the endless scroll is incentivizing kids to stay on their phones, waiting for the "right" time to be "real." It’s a paradox: you’re performing authenticity. If a kid waits until they’re at a cool concert to post their "late" BeReal instead of posting their boring math homework on time, the "authenticity" is gone—it’s just Instagram with a different UI.
Ages 13 and Under: The official age limit is 13, but let’s be honest: 11 and 12-year-olds are everywhere on here. For this age group, the biggest risk isn't "stranger danger" (since the app defaults to a private friends list), but rather the anxiety of the notification. If the "Time to BeReal" goes off during family dinner or right before bed, does your child have the impulse control to ignore it? Probably not.
Ages 14-16: This is the BeReal sweet spot. They’re old enough to handle the "Friends of Friends" feed without melting down, but they still need to be reminded that nothing is truly deleted. Even though BeReals "disappear" from the main feed after 24 hours, they live forever in the "Memories" archive, and anyone can screenshot them. (BeReal does notify you if someone screenshots, but they make you "share" the app to see who did it—a classic growth hack).
Ages 17+: At this point, it’s mostly just a digital scrapbook. The concern here is more about time management and the creeping presence of ads and "RealBrands" cluttering their feed.
Check out our guide on the best first social media apps for 12-year-olds
BeReal is generally safer than Snapchat because it lacks a built-in map that shows your location 24/7 (unless you specifically enable location on a post). However, the "Friends of Friends" feature is a privacy loophole.
If your teen has 50 friends, and each of those friends has 500 friends, a "Friends of Friends" post could potentially be seen by 25,000 people. That’s not a "private" circle; that’s a stadium.
What to check:
- Location Sharing: Ensure they aren't broadcasting their exact home address with every "boring" kitchen photo.
- The Discovery Feed: BeReal has mostly moved away from a global "Public" feed, but "RealPeople" accounts can still expose kids to curated influencer content that ruins the "authentic" vibe.
Is BeReal "brain rot"? Not in the way a 3-hour YouTube binge of Skibidi Toilet is. It doesn't liquefy the attention span. However, it does contribute to "always-on" syndrome.
The "two-minute" window is designed to create a sense of urgency. It triggers a dopamine hit when you "make it" in time. As a parent, you need to know that when that notification hits, your child’s brain is telling them this is a high-priority event.
If you're looking for something truly low-stakes and intimate, I actually prefer Locket Widget. It puts a photo from a friend directly onto your home screen. No "two-minute" timer, no ads, just photos.
Instead of lecturing about "screen time," try asking these questions to see how they’re actually using the app:
- "Do you ever feel stressed when the BeReal notification goes off and you're not doing anything 'cool'?"
- "Have you noticed more ads or 'RealPeople' accounts lately? What do you think about the app changing?"
- "If we’re in the middle of something important and the notification goes off, can you wait until we’re done to post 'late'?"
Learn more about how to talk to your kids about digital FOMO
BeReal is one of the "better" social media apps out there, but its recent acquisition by a mobile gaming giant means it’s becoming more "gamified" and ad-heavy. It’s a great tool for staying connected with a small circle of friends, but the "authenticity" is a bit of a marketing gimmick.
If your kid is using it to show their messy desk and their "just woke up" face to five close friends, it’s harmless. If they’re obsessing over the two-minute window and trying to curate a "perfectly real" life for a "Friends of Friends" audience, it’s time for a conversation.
- Check the Settings: Sit down with your teen and make sure their default audience is "Friends Only," not "Friends of Friends."
- Turn Off Location: Unless they’re at a public landmark, there’s no reason for a BeReal to have a geotag.
- Model the "Late" Post: If you use the app too, show them it’s okay to post 6 hours late. The world doesn't end, and the photo of your cold coffee is just as "real" at 4 PM as it was at 10 AM.
Check out our full comparison of BeReal vs. Instagram vs. Snapchat