BeReal, Amanda Di Petta

Qualitative research conducted sought to determine the influence of cosmetic surgery such as ‘BBLs' amongst young people. This data focused on how young people are greatly influenced to get cosmetic surgery due to social media platforms. Research collected through a questionnaire survey suggested that young people would be influenced by individuals on social media to get cosmetic work done just to boost their self-esteem (Arab et al., 2019). Plastic surgery is very accessible nowadays, as people can catch a flight to foreign countries to afford them at a cheaper price. This raises great concern for adolescents, as some of them may risk their lives undergoing surgery to get a ‘BBL’ as it is one of the riskiest surgeries in the world.

All in all, this unrealistic body shape sets false expectations for adolescents and puts pressure on them to uphold an impossible physique. This implausible notion teaches adolescents that they must not embrace their natural beauty, but get work done to solve their imperfections. Thus, it is crucial to enlighten adolescents that social media is a false reality and does not allow millennials to express their natural beauty.

Bibliography

Arab, K., Barasain, O., Altaweel, A., Alkhayyal, J., Alshiha, L., Barasain, R., Alessa, R., & Alshaalan, H. (2019). Influence of Social Media on the Decision to Undergo a Cosmetic Procedure. Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 7(8), e2333. https://doi.org/10.1097/GOX.0000000000002333 Brazilian Butt Lift. (n.d.) Segen's Medical Dictionary. (2011). Retrieved November 2 2022 from https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Brazilian+Butt+Lift Market Place, S. L. (2021). Bbl photo . photograph. Sadideen, H., Akhavani, M. A., Mosahebi, A., & Harris, P. A. (2020). Current perceptions of ‘Brazilian butt lift’ (BBL) surgery in the UK: A BAAPS-led survey of BAAPS members. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 73(11), 1966–1975. https://doi.org/10. 1016/j.bjps.2020.08.068 Scoop, S. (2020). Eye Photo. photograph.

BeReal.

Amanda Di Petta

BeReal is one of the newest social media apps that everyone is raging about. The purpose of the app is to provide users with unfiltered and “real’ representations of their friends’ daily lives. Once a day, at a specific time, users are sent a notification indicating that they have two minutes to capture a BeReal. When the app is opened, the user has two minutes to tap the capture button after which it takes a photo from both the front and back cameras. If users miss the two-minute window or retakes the photo this information is shared on the post. The app also restricts view of other users’ posts until you have posted your own. BeReal posts reset daily and while users can keep track or refer back to their own posts, they cannot view previous posts of other users. This term is relevant to adolescent development and health due to the major role social media plays in life today. Many of the common social medias such as Instagram, Snapchat, Tiktok etc., are filled with the pressures of filters and perfectionism- having to look, act and live and certain way. Social media is often built on the concept that validation can only be found through likes, shares, and the number of followers you have. The pressures of social media can often lead to mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and dysmorphia among many others. The purpose of this app is to embrace one’s natural and authentic self, and many users are doing exactly that. BeReal, provides a platform for adolescence to authentically post themselves knowing that their friends will be doing the same. BeReal does not focus on followers or likes, and the lack of a profile page relieves the pressure of keeping a perfect social media image that is often felt by adolescence when using other platforms. This platform could potentially lead to a healthier relationship between adolescence and social media with less performance fatigue and “more fun”. Often there is a pressure to be on social media all the time to keep from missing out on new content, however, the design of BeReal -one synchronized post a day- allows for that pressure to subside. The scheduled postings may also contribute to decreasing screen time which has become a growing issue with adolescence especially in correlation to their sleep patterns and mental health. Overall BeReal has gained popularity amongst adolescence for its revival of a relaxed form of media. The app has made many changes to the social media world that provide a safer, healthier environment for its users and adolescence especially however, it is not perfect. Some users withhold from posting during the notification period and post at a later time when they have something exciting going but some genuinely just miss the notification due to everyday commitments. Despite the very real possibility that a post was late for a valid reason, users can be categorized as “fake” or untruthful. With this being said, the concept and values behind the BeReal app, have the possibility to positively affect adolescent development and health but there still is much research needed to perfect it.

For more information on adolescent health and development and BeReal.: https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com https://journals.sagepub.com https://sproutsocial.com/glossary/bereal/ https://thspublications.com