Can you imagine a world in which you are forced, either by a government or an individual, to inform them of what you are doing and where you are when asked throughout the day? Does the toxicity of this situation disappear when you replace the person who is ordering you around with a piece of technology? Does that make the imagined scenario any less terrifying? I present to you BeReal: a new social media app that essentially requires the same obedient commitment from its users. 

For those not familiar, BeReal functions as a photo-sharing app, with the main objective of creating a more authentic social media space when so many other platforms are viewed as inauthentic. Every day at a random time, its users receive a notification to upload a photo to the app. Only after you’ve taken that day’s photo can you view others’ photos. Additionally, people can see how late you posted the photo, how many times you retook the photo before posting and even the location where you posted. Through these stipulations, the app strongly incentivizes users to post a photo within the short suggested time frame, ensuring that all of the content on the app reflects the most candid moments.

On their website, BeReal advertises its platform as “a new and unique way to discover who your friends really are in their daily life.” To say this platform allows you to discover who your friends “really are” suggests there was some layer of themselves they are hiding from the real world. But is there no benefit to keeping a part of one’s life private?

I was hesitant to download the app. I saw an absurdity in people being so willing to broadcast to a group of followers their exact location and activity of a random moment throughout the day. My friends would often rebut, arguing that the app doesn’t force you to take the photo at the assigned time. These same friends scroll through their BeReal feed, scrutinizing each picture, and taking note of every detail. According to them, posting even minutes late implies that you waited until you were with a group of people or doing something that looked productive enough to post. In other words, you weren’t “being real.” If you use the app the way it’s intended, you post as soon as you are notified.

The app operates with a sense of urgency. On my first day using BeReal, the notification — punctuated with glaring hazard sign emojis that indicated a call to take immediate action — went off at the dining hall during dinner time. In the span of seconds, everyone had whipped out their phones and snapped pictures in unison. I was startled by this scene, a mindless, collective reaction to a single ding from their phone, reminiscent of something you would see in an episode of Black Mirror. They heeded their instruction from the BeReal God absolutely, with a seeming lack of thought that was extremely eerie from an onlooker’s perspective. I wondered to what lengths people would go to fulfill their obligations to the app. Some friends claimed they felt completely comfortable uploading their BeReal whenever they were asked. A few insisted they would even take a BeReal photo while on the toilet, if that was when they received the notification to do so. This imprudent self-exposure is not only extremely weird, but further chips away at barriers of personal privacy that once held higher value in society.

I understand it’s everyone’s choice what they put on the internet. The issue I see is how widespread it’s becoming. A few of Northwestern’s own organizations are even being funded as BeReal ambassadors, encouraging everyone in the club to download the app. The desire to appear authentic is becoming so important that there is little people keep to themselves.

This begs the larger question of why we once regarded privacy as critical for a functioning society. When we are placed in the public eye, we rely on the ability to control our appearance. This is why we don’t wear pajamas to work and do our makeup before going out. As more and more of our private lives become publicized through social media, we are constantly subjecting our life to judgment from others. If we are always thinking about the perception that other people have of us, it is easy to deconstruct our sense of self.

Recently, I was sitting with a friend when her BeReal notification went off. Within minutes of her taking a picture of me and uploading it, a different friend texted her asking why she hadn’t been invited. By publicizing our inner lives so frequently, people feel increasingly entitled to be a part of it. We plunge deeper into a cesspool of time stamps and photographs, spending hours studying other people’s little moments and losing sight of ourself in the expedition.

I recognize that there are bigger issues facing college-aged students than one more social media platform taking residence in our phones. I also recognize that some people may find solace in BeReal as a relief from the standard, curated feeds of other apps. On a personal level, I can’t say I haven’t fallen victim to similar breaches of privacy that I’ve disregarded to expand my social media presence. I only urge you to recognize this cardinal truth — as more of our private lives become public, and we are under the constant scrutiny of others, we forfeit our ability to develop a sense of individuality.

Izzy May is a Weinberg freshman. She can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.