“Why would I buy that when I could just craft it?”
Sound familiar? This statement, a favorite among young women, especially Pinterest users, is just one of the many thoughts that cross the minds of young women caught up in the recent Do It Yourself (DIY) craze.
Caption: The one time a craft with the DIY approach made turned out well. #proud
It started innocently enough – crafting only saves money and it is enjoyable.“I really love the DIY projects on Pinterest; I have a whole bunch of them favorited. I really like using some of the ideas when I’m decorating my dorm room, and I’ve definitely tried to recreate some of the ideas I’ve seen on there.” sophomore journalism student Mel DeCandia said.
Another sophomore journalism student, Amanda Eisenberg, agreed, “Personally, I love looking up DIY projects to replicate,” she said.
I too have fallen prey to Pinterest – I signed up for an account much later than many. At first I was totally against what I called a “website for menstruating women.” Eventually I signed up only because I was gearing up for a new apartment and job, and I wanted some inspiration for decorations and outfit ideas. Here is how I like to show myself to my followers with my actual description:
But, of course, my time on Pinterest ended up leading me to the well-loved, overused tag of DIY. Let me preface this by saying I am not crafty. At all. In elementary school, I was the kid covered in paint by the end of art class, and most of my projects were giant glue blobs, much to my mother’s dismay.
However, the DIY tag on Pinterest made me believe I could be crafty. Rapidly, I started to add things to my board…it grew to be one of my largest boards on Pinterest. Of course I could make pillows and candles and coasters and tumbler glasses I thought. All the girls on Pinterest said it was easy! Needless to say, I was becoming “one of those women” obsessed with Pinterest.
Caption: My original DIY board on Pinterest. So many sad, neglected projects
It’s easy to see that crafting and DIY have not only swept recent graduates but that they have also reached college-aged women. While this “new domesticity” as “Homeward Bound” author Emily Matchar calls it, can be fun, it can sometimes have negative consequences, especially for women.
“There is a trend toward more women staying at home when they can. Women are giving up ambition out of frustration in the workplace, and returning to the crafting that many of their grandmothers did,” Matchar said.
So where does Pinterest fit in?
The site, which is mainly used by women, allows users to pin anything from pictures of their dream wedding to recipes they want to try. We all know that. The problem, though, is that most of what people pin is what they hope to do – their dreams.
“I feel like Pinterest makes me more future-minded than I usually am,” DeCandia said.
To be honest, I agreed with DeCandia. I never actually made one of the posts I pinned. And if I’m really honest with myself, all of the posts I pinned were ones I thought would help make my family (and my boyfriend’s) think I was not only successful when it came to my job, but also when it came to doing “womanly” things.
When women’s pins focus on weddings and their dream homes, their dreams become narrowly focused into the role of homemaker. It becomes even more dangerous when women connect on this level with so many others. Competition can heighten as women attempt to pin cuter wedding ideas, better DIY projects and more adorable décor than their followers.
“I think Pinterest is the pornography of new domesticity. It’s aspirational – people are looking at these beautiful images and saying hey, I should do that,” Matchar said.
According to Matchar, many issues can arise from this obsessive pinning. First, women who have both a career and want to partake in DIY projects simply do not have the time.
“I think women feel a lot of pressure to do everything. This DIY culture can add extra pressure –you don’t just have to have a job and feed your kids – you also have to do it beautifully,” she said.
Uh, exactly! Even at 19, I was feeling the pressure to have the most adorable bedroom, to be the best college chef, to have chic, fashionable clothes and to be proficient at sewing, crocheting and knitting, all while graduating from college, finding a great job and, as many pinners plan, having the perfect significant other. Did I mention you have to remain sane while doing all of this? How can we be expected to keep up?
Women aspire to have beautiful homes that they created all on their own through DIY projects and impeccable taste. Their Pinterest accounts are merely reflections of that.
While the trend is a bit unsettling for feminism, it doesn’t have to be.
“New domesticity and DIY is meant to be fun. Women just can’t let their careers go in favor of DIY,” Matchar said.
College women like DeCandia and Eisenberg agree.
“If you only use Pinterest to indulge yourself in a little make-believe about what your future wedding or future home could be like (and you don’t realistically expect things to pan out exactly like your Pinterest boards) then I think it’s fun,” DeCandia said.
According to Eisenberg, it’s all about balancing the two.
“I am very focused on my career in journalism, but I love to craft when I’m at home,” she said.
The perfectionist in me (which Pinterest, of course helps fuel) is screaming that these women are all wrong. But, to be honest, this whole meditation on Pinterest and women’s rights made me realize something. It’s not a website where you become “one of those women” who drop out of the workforce and into the sewing club.
Instead, Pinterest is a place where women (and men) can promote whatever the hell they want. If you like adorable puppies or, I don’t know, lawn mowers, you can dedicate a board to it. Tailor the site to your own interests, not others. As long as you don’t make Pinterest competitive, it won’t be.
Want to guess what I’m going to do next?
Delete my DIY board and make a new one called “feminism.” How ‘bout them apples?
Caption: Something I can actually believe in!
Sound off about your thoughts on Pinterest in the comments section!