Chicago professor warns 'BeReal.' app could pose some issues for children

CHICAGO - The new app "BeReal." is rapidly gaining popularity.

Instagram has caught heat for allowing users to portray what isn't real — impacting how teens view themselves.

Internal research found in the U.S. and UK that more than 40 percent of teens using Instagram reported feeling "unattractive."

This new app, BeReal., uses both your front and back camera — once per day at random times.

The user has two minutes to capture and share their image.

There are no filters available.

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"The ‘BeReal.’ is showing more of a positive trend, our teenagers are recognizing that most of what they see online on social media is not accurate, it's not authentic, and it's unattainable," said Dr. Michelle Cutler.

Cutler, who is an associate professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology says the app could still pose some issues for children.

"Even though they can only post that one time a day, they can always go on and scroll — there's a page where they can scroll and discover and see what other people are up to," said Cutler. "More importantly, the bigger draw for kids is its easy for them to become reliant on waiting for that notification to post because if they miss it, right, then they miss out on that chance to connect with their peers online and to be able to see what other people are doing at the same time."

Earlier this year, the app was reportedly gaining movement — seeing downloads up 315 percent.