Whenever I take a photo with someone and it has come out good, they usually respond with “Oh I’m going to post this on Instagram! Not until it’s a better time, of course.” I have found that it is common now to wait until a specific time to post a photo, a time when we believe the most people will be scrolling through and may “like” the photo.

Huffington Post once wrote an article on how to choose the best time to post a photo to Instagram. They researched what time and day of the week is best in order to receive the most amount of likes or at least get their post the most views. Their research concluded that 5 P.M. on a Wednesday is the most efficient time to post on Instagram.

It is sad that this is what posting on social media has become. A majority of people only post for the intention of receiving as many likes as possible. And if they do not achieve an adequate amount of likes, some of them will go as far as to delete the photo. I have seen people who will delete their photos after on an hour or two of after posting it, in fear that it is not going to get as much attention as they hoped.

Too often today, social media is used as a measure of popularity. But I believe that social media is intended to share memories and thoughts in the form of photos or words with the world.

Although we all fall prey to the habit of posting for "likes" and attention, I commend those who use their social media profiles as a virtual place for their memories, rather than as a platform to gain popularity.

We should post photos when we feel good about ourselves and when we want to share that confidence with the world, not when we think it is the optimum time to gain attention. If you love a photograph and want to share it, why should you wait? Post it while you feel confident and when you feel it is the right time, not the time that society or statistics tell you to post it.

Along with posting when you feel good about your picture, don't the amount of likes you get determine whether or not you keep it on your profile. Like I said earlier, the intention of posting on social media should be to share personal thoughts and memories, So "likes" should make you keep or delete something on your profile.

At the end of the day, your social media profile can be whatever you want it to be. But practicing self-confidence and posting when you want to is a good way to live, instead of only posting to receive "likes" and attention. This way, your Instagram or other social media profile will not just be a contest of "likes," but a collection of memories that you can look back on and feel good about.