Is being a flirt a bad thing?..?

K, well, i'm told that i'm a flirt by a good few of my friends! it's not intentional, usually anyway, i just think i want people to like me, even in a platonic way. I find it hard not to flirt back if someone flirts first, but i wouldn't lead them on if i honestly had no interest in them. It's gotten me into a couple of tricky situations with some of my guy friends, but i honestly am just being friendly and talkative and not trying to flirt.