Our social media culture has us all preprogrammed for moments. We live for the moment. Our every move is centered around creating the perfect moment.

Those moves extend to the amount of time we spend preparing for the day to the way we hold ourselves throughout, never knowing when the moment will strike.

Notice that in living for the moment, we neglect to live in the moment.

We live for the moment that the light is just right to snap the perfect insta-worthy photo. We relish in the moments we create to make our lives look and feel more interesting.

Newsflash, friends: our lives are not really that interesting. We need to stop trying to create perfect moments and actually live in the moment, without trying to perfect it with a filter.

We need to stop living through the screen of our phone, whether it be commenting on a Facebook post instead of having a real conversation with that person, or by simply taking in the awe-inspiring beauty of a sunset without being shaded from its real beauty because a screen and filter stands between us and hundreds of likes.

The fact of the matter is simple. We need to make a conscious decision to leave the technology on the counter and in our pockets and purses. This simple step is necessary to free us from the new social norm of living for the moment to allow us to live in the moment.

I know as well as you do that it’s hard to not get caught up in social norms; however, I also find myself regretting the moments I didn’t take a photo because I was having too much fun just being in them.

There is a balance between living in the moment and living for the moment, and the difficult part is finding it. However, allowing your phone to take up residence in your pocked instead of your hand is the first step.

Think back to the years when you lived at home or before technology was a ruling factor of your life. What are the moments that stand out?

Your first thoughts are probably not Starbucks runs with your friends or house parties. Maybe you remember that surprise party your parents threw for your 16th birthday, waking up to the smell of a home-cooked breakfast, or simply sitting around the television during the holidays and watching a corny Christmas movie with your family.

These are the hallmarks of our lives, the moments you lived in. These moments are memorable with or without a photograph to prove their existence.

You may be less likely to recall an event that does not have a photo associated with it, but at least it was documented in your heart and not just on your phone.

All the documenting of your life for the moment may make for a great Snapchat story, but that story is not indelible. Yes, it may be documented for 24 hours or saved to your phone’s storage, but you’re sure to delete it for that next iOS update, for the next great app, or simply to take more photos and videos.

So stop documenting your life with your phone. It’s that simple. Maybe take a snapshot here and there, but don’t let it rule your life. It’s called a snapshot for a reason; it’s quick, good for recall, and it’s not posed.

Don’t ruin your memories by living for the moment with filters, the perfect angle, or the likes.

Forget living for the moment and let the moments you live in be snapshots.