Over the past few months, a new social media platform called BeReal has taken the Choate student body by storm. The app prompts users to post an authentic snapshot of their lives once every 24 hours, and students have been using it faithfully to share their unfiltered experiences.
Taylor Rossiter ’25 explained that BeReal’s transparency is what sets it apart from other social media platforms. She stressed, “So many things on social media are fake these days!” The inability to edit BeReal posts fosters real, meaningful online connections.
Leilani Gao ’26 agreed, “I like that it really forces you to be real, unlike other social media apps where you don’t really get to see what people are doing in the moment.”
Many students at Choate are drawn to BeReal for its user-friendly interface and range of exciting features. The platform has a clean, simple design that makes it easy to navigate.
Dylan Bershtein ’25 explained, “BeReal isn’t too complicated. It’s nice that all I have to do is take one picture, but I get to look at everyone else’s.”
The desire to see what other people are up to is what motivates students to post regularly. Unlike Instagram and TikTok, if users don’t participate in BeReal, they will be unable to see others’ posts.
A sense of urgency is created in users when the BeReal notification goes off — to act fast and post within the two-minute window. Although many are excited by this, Rossiter pointed out that “notifications can start to feel annoying — it’s like a nag.” She shared that the unpredictability of posting, which is an aspect of the app that other students also dislike, has led her to use BeReal less frequently.
Elia Ahmadi ’24 recently deleted several social media apps, including BeReal. He feels that most BeReals do not capture real moments, and the app contradicts with living in the moment because it promotes constant scrolling. “I never catch the two-minute window because I’m too busy being real in real life,” he said.
While the platform has its critics, there’s no denying that BeReal has made a big impact at Choate. Bershtein remarked, “I’ll just be sitting at a table with my friends in the dining hall, and all of a sudden the notification will go off, so everyone gets out their phone and rushes to post.”
BeReal offers students a place to post without the pressure to present a certain image or lifestyle to their friends. Regardless of your stance on BeReal, the app is here to stay, and will continue to shape the way students at Choate connect with each other.
