Focus on the Family Magazine - June/July 2023

KIDS & TEENS / MEDIA
UPCOMING REVIEWS
For reviews of these and other titles, visit PluggedIn.com,
<strong>Focus</strong> on the Family’s media review and discernment website.
INDIANA JONES
AND THE DIAL
OF DESTINY
The whip-wielding
archeologist takes
another crack at
the Nazis.
Scheduled
release:
June 30
BARBIE
Will the iconic doll find a
way to handle life in the
real world?
Scheduled
release:
July 21
ELEMENTAL
Can Ember, a girl made
of fire, get along with a
water boy named Wade?
Scheduled
release:
June 16
A PARENT’S
GUIDE TO BEREAL
BY ADAM HOLZ
THE RELATIVELY NEW
SOCIAL MEDIA APP BeReal is
being touted by many as “the authentic
Instagram”—but is it really a solid
alternative for teens?
It’s true that BeReal takes a unique
approach regarding some of social
media’s biggest issues. Adolescents often
use social media to frame their lives in the
best possible light. Staged selfies and filterenhanced
images can make someone’s
life look awesome. Add in likes and followers,
and you’ve got a recipe for self-esteem
and mental-health struggles.
BeReal, however, prompts users to take
a selfie only once per day. Users have two
minutes to respond. Then, it shares those
pictures with friends in the users’ BeReal
network. The intent is to combat teens’
temptations to post “best life now” pics of
themselves, and instead offer something
that’s more authentic.
To reinforce that intent, there aren’t
any image filters. Nor will you find follower
or like counters. If you miss your
daily window, you can still post a pic,
though you won’t have the instant connection
with BeReal besties who posted
earlier that day.
So BeReal does offer a healthier twist on
social media, but some concerns still exist:
Users can still befriend strangers.
Sexually explicit pictures are prohibited,
but the app relies on users to police problematic
content. And while the app’s
once-a-day premise solves some “fear
of missing out” problems, it could still
cause anxiety about missing your
BeReal window.
BeReal isn’t perfect. But compared
to the established competition, it
addresses some of the problems with
social media. •
Adam Holz is the director of Plugged In. He
and his wife, Jennifer, have three children.
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS; PARAMOUNT PICTURES; MATTEL FILMS
24 FOCUS ON THE FAMILY CANADA JUNE / JULY 2023