I have an announcement to make. I love social media. Interacting with people, reading useful tips and generally just having a little nosy really does fuel my life. I wouldn’t go as far to say I’m addicted – but I definitely enjoy it.

Saying that, I also love cottage cheese and my cat. Not at the same time (who knows what would happen). So how do they compare?

Whilst I was having breakfast yesterday morning, I had a look through Instagram as I usually do. I thought two things – one, I haven’t posted a picture in a while. And two, well it doesn’t really matter because mine will never look as good as the ones on my feed anyway.

But then I thought, why does that matter? Do I really want to spend my life taking a picture of every single moment of my day, even when I’m not really doing anything that interesting? Do I want to spend time trying to find the perfect filter to make my photo ‘Instagram-worthy’?

I came to the conclusion that no, I did not.

Let me just say that I am not in any way jealous. And I’m not writing that because I am jealous. I’m not. I’ve learnt that comparing ourselves to people will never make you happy. So I don’t do it. I actually admire the people I follow on Instagram who take such glorious pictures. But the point here isn’t about who can take the best picture. It’s about how we live our lives by doing it.

Some people truly do use it as a ‘hey look at me’ tool. I can think of one person who does and I’m sure you can too. Don’t you just hate them? It’s a strong word, but oh boy does it annoy me. The odd selfie I’m fine with. Hell, even I post the odd selfie. But picture after picture of their face? No thanks.

I get why we all use it. We want to be a part of it. We want to let people know we’re there, just like everyone else. I read something in an article the other day where the writer said, ‘I only go on Instagram when I have a specific reason to go on it.' They were basically saying that they didn’t want to waste time on there. But you know what? I do. And I’m okay with that.

The last few pictures on my Instagram are of breakfast, a new pair of shoes and my cat (who is a proud, regular feature). So let’s be honest, if we were sat there in our sweat pants, eating a tub of ice cream with three day old hair, would we Instagram it? Even if you did post it, would you care about how many likes it got?

For me, butterflies appear when I get a comment on a blog post, or my partner compliments me. That’s more than an Instagram like or comment will ever be able to achieve.

So I’ve decided that when I post a photo to Instagram it won’t be just because. It’ll be because I’m really happy at one particular time and I want to take a picture of it.

The moments we publish on Instagram are all great moments. They’re things that make us laugh and things that make our hearts ache in a really good way. But you know what? They’re not the best moments. The best moments are when you’re on a winter walk with your partner and you’re talking and laughing too much to stop for a picture. They’re when you’re in a bar with your friends you’re having too much of a good time to stop and get your phone out.

During weekends, we’ve introduced a new value to our home. In the living room during family time, there’ll be no phones, iPads or laptops. It will be purely a room for conversation, laughter and family. To be honest, I don’t think I’d want to pick a filter for that anyway. It will be perfect, just as it is.

I'd love to know, how do you feel about Instagram? Do you think you live your life through a filter?