Privacy in the digital age is a delicate issue which involves teenagers in particular. Social networks are applications that help improve lives and at the same time, be dangerous for minors. Come the BeReal notification, a daily reminder that it is ‘time to capture real life.’ But is it safe for teens? What privacy issues does it bring forth to them? Let’s unpack this situation.
What is the BeReal notification?
The BeReal notification is like the silly version of Snapchat. Everyday, a notification is presented at a random time. Here, users are supposed to snap a photo—on the spot. Both the frontal and the rear cameras turn on. You can’t plan. You can’t filter. It’s raw.
This feature was created with the idea of putting an end to too many facade selfies on the Internet. Sounds noble, right? But here’s the twist: your teen’s privacy is compromised or they can be exposed to unfiltered and obscene images. And where teens go, privacy issues will not be very far behind.
Why teens love it?
- Authenticity: No filters, no fakes. Just real life.
- Exclusivity: The idea is that you only get to see friends’ posts if you decide to engage in the updates.
- Surprise Factor: The timing appears more random, making the users engaged always.
Why parents are nervous?
- Location Tracking: You may forget when to say no to sharing your location, especially when you expect such sharing with a random friend.
- Overexposure: We might be too open with what is around us and this is something that teens do not know how to hide.
- Peer Pressure: Miss a notification? You’re left out. That’s what I call social media FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).
Are the BeReal notifications promoting togetherness? Or is it taking privacy out of the equation? That’s the question.
Does Bereal notify screen recording?
The short answer? No. BeReal does not alert the target if somebody screen records them. Oh, that’s wonderful if there is mere sharing, is it not? Wrong.
Imagine this: your teen uploads something silly; a happy face, a silly dress code, or even a place. Someone’s screen records it. Now it’s gone out of the app. The moment can be saved, shared or mocked without your teen ever realizing what happened.
But, you won’t hear the BeReal notifications sound for this one. No ping, no warning. Nothing. In an app that claims to be based on the principle of honesty, that’s a big loophole.
Why this matters?
- Meme Culture: Best moments of teenagers can go viral with or without their approval.
- Cyberbullying: Taking screenshots and creating screen recordings are things that belong only to trolls.
- Lack of Control: It has been said that when you place something out on the online platform, it is there to stay forever. Period.
What about screenshots?
BeReal does let users know when someone captures a screenshot. Cute idea. But is it foolproof? Not always.
If you are a parent, this is where you sigh. And while the BeReal screenshot notification is decent, it is far from perfect.” And let’s not even talk about third-party apps that can get around it.
Teens’ privacy and mental health need guarding
Does Bereal notify you when you view a profile?
Nope. BeReal cannot notify you if you stalk someone else’s profile. Phew, right? Well, not so fast.
This might sound harmless—”What’s the big deal?”—but consider this: Students follow each other for updates or spying on their competitors, enemy or simply an acquaintance. There is no daily notification that can be sent to them to make them know that their lurking is becoming obsessive.
BeReal claims its purpose is to promote real interactions. But, this very aspect of the idea brings out a black box of privacy concerns. In general, teens can become reckless assuming they are certainly only being viewed by friends.
The safety dilemma
- False Security: Teenagers could feel protected when they are not.
- Privacy Risks: Such information includes, but not limited to, school names, friend lists or popular hangouts.
- Authenticity vs. Exposure: One thing is sharing your “real self”, another is sharing your personal details on social media.
This absence of alerts may appear quite innocuous at first sight. But for parents, it can only be a reminder to educate their teens about managing their Online persona.
Does BeReal allow inappropriate content?
In a word: No. In fact, BeReal’s community guidelines and terms of service are very clear. They do not permit the use of any kind of vulgar content on the website. But let’s get real here, the rules are one thing, the enforcement is quite another.
It pretty much solely depends on its users themselves to report violations of the rules set in the app. This means if someone posts something immoral, it can remain there up to the time that somebody reports it. They do not have any filters or any mode of artificial intelligence scanning for forbidden content before and after the post.
Community guidelines: The good stuff
- No Nudity or Sexual Content: It stays primarily pg-13 thanks to various rules and guidelines regarding the content of the app.
- No Hate Speech: BeReal’s purpose is to build kindness.
- No Violence: Anything graphic is a no-go.
But here’s the rub. Teenagers do love to impress and experiment, and sometimes this can be a bad thing. They can (and do) find loopholes. A suggestive photo? Even though it is not violating rules, it can make that person feeling uncomfortable in some way. A “funny” prank? It may very well go over some invisible line while not crossing an actual rule in writing.
Content filtering: A work in progress
Well, it is quite evident that BeReal has no complex interface and that vulnerability is its strength, and vice versa. Compared to Instagram or TikTok, there are no solid AI filters locking down red flag content before they go live. That is all manual, which is good for true life but bad for moderation.
What are the risks of BeReal notification?
There are countless temptations and an abundance of inappropriate stuff on this app. It is useful to remember the app’s positives and negatives. Here are a few risks that you should consider:
- Privacy Concerns: What Are You Really Sharing? The main idea behind BeReal is to post whenever the notification tells you to. But here’s the catch: In your haste to post, you may share materials you did not plan to.
- Sexual Exploitation: Teenagers may come across some immoral images and texts. Though users are also expected to report such content in the app, absence of AI moderation, some toxic posts might not be detected.
- Social Pressure to Share: The FOMO Machine: Unlike most apps that notify users to post on the app, the BeReal push notification commands you to post. That way, if you don’t participate you can’t look at the posts your friends have made.
- Impact on Mental Well-being: It is impossible to deny that social media and mental health are normally in a love-hate relationship, and BeReal is no exception either. Teenagers might feel the need to ‘reach the peak’ and get that perfect ‘real’ moment, which kind of negates the app’s effectiveness.
How BeReal notification can affect teen attention and screen time?
What can make the BeReal app appealing is that the notification that appears on the users’ screen is arbitrary. It’s entertaining and random but it is also time wasteful. Imagine this: you are doing homework, reading a book, or even eating dinner. Suddenly, your phone buzzes. It’s BeReal. Now it is time to stop whatever one is doing, and post.
Increased screen time: A hidden trap
BeReal describes itself as a platform that is low effort, and thus expected to be used frequently. One post a day, right? But it’s never just one post. Teenagers write what they want to say, then go to friends’ walls. They wait for the reactions, they respond, and score notifications. A five minute break can turn out to be a half an hour session with the child. Add that to daily usage, now you are talking about major screen time.
Distractions galore
The BeReal app notification doesn’t give a damn about your schedule. It doesn’t stop for study time, family dinner time or bedtime. Four, teenagers are interested and will pause whatever they are doing in order to respond. In the long run this can erode their concentration little by little.
The attention paradox
BeReal is intended to allow teens to be ‘real and ‘in the moment.’ However, it equally pulls them out of it more often than not. They are not even having a real life experience, instead they are aiming to share one. The result? teens have less freedom from their phones.
Can parents monitor BeReal?
It is hard for parents to monitor the use of BeReal because of its format. There is no liking, there is no existence of accounts that are public, there is no usage of hashing also. This is a little less risky than some platforms like, say, Instagram or Tiktok, but it also means that regulation is more difficult. So, how can parents step in?
Open Conversations: The First Line of Defense
First, sit your kid down and communicate with your teenager. Inquire about their BeReal experience. Explain to students privacy issues, stress related to the post, and consequences of excessive sharing. Be open with what you’re going to say, and do not sound accusing. Teenagers will listen if they for instance do not feel judged by the opposite gender.
Review App Settings
When it comes to privacy settings, BeReal is once again rather sparse, but there aren’t many to look at anyhow. For example:
- Turn Off Location Sharing: Prevents GPS tags on posts.
- Manage Friends List: Teens must be encouraged not to accept friend requests from strangers.
- Set Screen Time Limits: To limit use of particular apps, rely on the built-in features of your device.
Use Parental Control Tools
Other features that offer even more utility to monitor children are presented by FlashGet Kids. With FlashGet, parents can:
- Monitor application and watch time.
- Use app blocker and screen time limits to keep kids disciplined.
- Restrict installation for new apps.
- Set up keyword alerts for certain social media platforms.
- Have access to your kid’s live location and geofencing.
For most parents, FlashGet Kids is like the final defense line which will protect their kids from the dangers of the digital world. It can act as a digital nanny that keeps an eye on your kid for you at all times. So, you can just sit back and relax while FlashGet Kids ensures your child remains safe on BeReal and other similar social apps.
Conclusion
BeReal is an application that introduces the concept of avoiding idealization of other’s lives. The BeReal notification is harmless, but its effect on privacy, screen time, and mental health is severe.
To teenagers, BeReal can be entertaining since it is yet another social media platform with friends. Still, parents have to be proactive to protect their kids on this app. Through encouraging free discussions, drawing lines on what is acceptable and what is not, and relying on FlashGet Kids can manage the situation with BeReal.
Thus it is to say that authenticity is a good thing to aim at. But the protection of teenagers’ privacy and their psychological state? That’s the real priority.
