4 minute read
BeReal
Social Spread
The rise of two new social media apps
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By Makani Reith Fifita
Two new social media platforms have been making the rounds at Arroyo High School, these two platforms known as BeReal and Gas App. BeReal’s main attraction is being a singular post each day within random intervals. “Posting in class or at school is kind of what everybody is doing. With people for example in AP Bio or BioTech, [the students] just want to take a photo with Ms. Johnson.“ Senior Marakii Woldergiorgios said.
Within thoser andom intervals of the day, users on BeReal can post within a two-minute span every day which makes consistency and without the use of editing can create the perfect in-the-moment photo for users for events to moments with friends and even within classes as well. GasApp is known as a poll-style system and it’s a way for students to anonymously send compliments to one another or that the app calls them ‘gasses’ as a way to compliment to notify someone onto something.
As BeReal is within the realm of being in the moment and being unfiltered, as it changes the of a social media app with many like Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram being with endless scrolling as a way to increase demographics. Senior Marakii Woldegiorgis has been using BeReal since the early summer and likes how BeReal switches it up and how it contrasts from Instagram.
“I think it does break the norm of a social media app with it just being unfiltered. Like you have to take a photo and you can’t edit the photo or anything.” Woldegiorgis said.
Many students take photos with their friends and in their classes to get that “in that moment” photo where it solidifies the user’s moment without augmentation. Woldegorgis has been posting about once a week on BeReal.
“You’d get a notification at different times of the day that says ‘You have two minutes to post your BeReal!’ and you can obviously post it late, like `This person has posted a BeReal 5 hours later.’ but it is just that whole stay consistent thing of notifications and you have two minutes to post a BeReal.” Woldegiorgis said.
Senior Jassy Tejano has used the Gas App before. As the two apps do have the stint of being a constant usage that being an everyday use or an hourly thing, it’s a different style of how we use social media apps, rather than endless scrolling like Instagram and TikTok, Gas App and BeReal would be a one and done for the day type of idea.
“The Gas App is fun to use because it’s usually just for giving and sending each other compliments that the app generates for everyone to do. Like every other hour it’ll give you a list of ten prompts and a poll of four other people. And you’ll just send it anonymously and they won’t know who sent it to them or sent you certain compliments” Tejano said.
BeReal has been either a hit or miss with a lot of students and teachers. Since it can be either a distracting way to use in classes, become one of those one off things that many pass off as a trend of the past or just not as different from any other social media app. Junior Xanti Souza would want to download BeReal, but as far the ‘hype’ surrounding it hasn’t convinced him yet to download it.
“I mean it’s just that you take pictures. And it’s just during a random point of the day. There isn’t anything special there” Souza said.
With maintaining that one gimmick of BeReal being a post everyday at a specific time, and Gas App with a refresh every hour, it can be certainly draining to stay consistent of usage of the apps. With a one and done deal, it does draw in many users to use it everyday but it’s a different experience when you use the app for a long period of time.
“I think BeReal is kind of boring. Like it is nice to make your own BeReal’s for the memories of like soccer be real or other events. And I would always save my BeReal’s for memories but just going on the app every day to see what everyone else is doing is kind of draining” Woldegiorgis said.
These trending apps around campus have been seen, heard or used by nearly everyone, with many students around AHS using this app to either encourage others to save the moments on this specific day. As the trending apps are deleted, it’ll be a reminder how others find and use these upcoming apps.
“Something I am looking to do when it comes to BeReal is probably that at the moment. Like that notification of that time to post. Whether that be in class or an after-school activity with friends and it’ll be like ‘Hey guys let’s post a BeReal!’. I think it’s something I look forward to just not having to put on that face or this person since it is more in the moment.” Woldergiogis said.
