Instagram. The photo sharing app that has captured the heart of over 600 million people since its launch in 2010. I have one and truly I love it. Getting to see what is going on in the lives of my favorite celebrities and the friends and family I don't see often. Posting photos of the coffee shops I go to, sporting events I compete in, and the good hair days I am having. Bu does Instagram really show you anything about anyone? Is Kim Kardashian really going to post a photo of how depressed she is after getting robbed? When you are having one of those days where you just feel beaten down by everyone and and everything and believe you are the ugliest thing to walk the Earth, are you really going to post a photo of yourself on the gram? Signs point to no.

So answer me this. Why do we cherish the opinions of others so much in the form of comments and likes? When did we decide to base our value off of who liked our most recent post? For the longest time I was so concerned with what I posted and when I posted it. The "prime time" to post a picture was anytime after 7 pm and before 10 pm. Any earlier or later than that you would be getting the slim pickings of likers and commenters. How ridiculous does that sound? That I and many others felt like we could not post a picture we liked because it may not get our average amount of likes. The opinions of others controls everything we do whether we think so or not.

I came to a point in the last year that I just did not care about what I posted. Who cares if my most likes is 300+ and I only got 100. Or that that one specific person didn't like my photo or no cute guys/girls commented heart eyes on it. It is MY Instagram and MY life and I am choosing to take it back.

So what do you ask, have I learned about myself from Instagram? Nothing. I have learned nothing except what I already knew about myself. I am beautiful and independent and I do not need the opinion and views of others to tell me what I already know. If someone thinks I am ugly is that going to change what I look like? If they think my post of the sunset or a hike was dumb, am I going to delete it? I like what I like and I am who I am. This goes for any form of social media. We spend so much time focused on how we look to others and not a much time looking at ourselves. In order to feel loved by people you must first love yourself.

Through all of this I am not complaining about what Instagram is and what it does. It really is a great way to keep up to date with people and catch up on the things you missed. But it is not something that stand in the way of you living your life and loving yourself.