I tried BeReal, the 'anti-social media' app that gives users 2 minutes a day to...

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• BeReal, a new photo sharing app, is surging in popularity among college students.

• It gives users 2 minutes a day to post candid photos — no filters allowed and limited retakes.

• After three weeks of trying out the app, I now prefer it over Instagram and Snapchat.

When I asked my friends why they post daily photos on BeReal, a new social media app that's become increasingly popular among the college crowd, one replied simply: "It's fun."

Once a day, at random times, users receive a notification that they have two minutes to snap a candid photo and post it to the BeReal feed.

It's a different type of selfie than you're used to. Both the back and front cameras take pictures simultaneously, making it harder to curate the perfect frame.

That's the whole point of the app. True to the name, there are no filters, limited retakes, and no time to pose. My posts have alternated between tired-eye selfies at work to blurry images of watching a basketball game with friends.

I tried out BeReal for three weeks to figure out why the social media newbie has been quietly creeping up the app store ranks. After getting through an awkward adjustment period, it's become my new favorite way to keep up with friends.

The good stuff

The last time I posted on Instagram was December 9. For the past year, my timeline has been caught in the flux of "casual Instagram" (fake candid photos that are unaesthetically aesthetic) and influencer territory.

Especially in a city like New York, I find it personally exhausting to continuously post on social media. Stories are slightly better thanks to their impermanence, but really only show off the highlight reels of my life.

BeReal is so much the opposite that it's a different kind of intimidating. Do I really want everyone to see my pajamas? Am I confident enough to show everyone an awkward, poorly lit selfie? To expose the corners of my messy room and unmade bed?