The flaws of social media and how it impacts our lives have been brought to the surface of many discussions with increasing concern. People are starting to understand how detrimental certain apps can be if not properly moderated. I’m not gonna sit here and act like I don’t love scrolling on Instagram in between study sessions, but with extended times on platforms like Instagram and Twitter, I notice a decrease in my attention span and an increase in negative thoughts. There is, however, social media app that I think outshines the rest of them. I am an avid Pinterest user and have been for many years. It doesn’t have the same addictive nature that most social media apps tend to have. Pinterest fueled my obsession with everything boho and hippie when I was 12 years old. Now, I have so many boards ranging from academic goals to tattoo inspiration. So yes, I have come full circle.
The biggest difference that Pinterest uses is that there is no “like count”. Likes aren’t as important as on other platforms because the number isn’t shown, so there’s not as much pressure to get a certain number of likes. This means that people who post pictures on Pinterest are not as worried about their performance because their posts aren’t quantified by a number. Posts are also centered around pictures of still life, such as nature, animals, or objects that align with people’s aesthetics. These pictures can give people a sense of belonging, happiness, or motivation. With a wider variety of content to consume on this platform, it becomes more inclusive and less idealized. Pinterest posts focus less on people’s idealized lives, which doesn’t give consumers a chance to compare lifestyles. Although there is a certain quality of stylized photos that makes it “Pinterest-worthy”, there is such a wide range of content on Pinterest that having a “perfect” picture really isn’t that important. This is most likely why I don’t find myself with a heavy heart after spending time on Pinterest.
Also, the save feature on Pinterest makes the app more community-based and allows people to interact in a more mutual way. The save feature allows you to save other people’s pictures to your own boards, supporting the creator’s post while also becoming an addition to your mood board. These mood boards are great for setting goals and creating intentions. Making boards are great for a variety of aesthetic and organizational things like saving recipes, making travel plans, art inspiration, etc. Since there is so much to use it for it feels a lot more personal and unlike other social media where you are posting for an audience. This is what makes Pinterest really good for getting ideas and finding community.
If you or your friends aren’t using Pinterest, you should definitely consider it yourself or encourage your friends. My favorite thing about following my friends on Pinterest is that I can see their interests and preferences, which makes it super easy to buy gifts for them and learn a lot about them.