The BeReal meme stems from the French social media app released in 2020 that gained massive global popularity in 2022. The app's unique mechanic sends a daily notification at a random time, giving users two minutes to take a photo using both front and back cameras simultaneously. Memes often parody this high-pressure moment by showing absurd, staged, or chaotic situations instead of the 'authentic' life the app intended to capture. The aesthetic—featuring a large frame with a smaller selfie inset and the signature 'Time to BeReal' warning—has become a universal shorthand for forced authenticity and the humorous gap between digital perception and reality.