Can you believe that Pinterest went live in 2010? Yikes, that makes me feel old! Pinterest has grown rapidly and significantly in a short amount of time. Gen Z has really taken to Pinterest compared to other generations, and I think this is because it is a low-pressure space for self-discovery, niche curation, and shopping inspiration, free from the performance anxiety of traditional social media. While Pinterest doesn’t really induce performance anxiety, sometimes I find myself getting trapped in the idea of the aesthetics and how they create an overwhelming sense of perfection.
Personally, I use Pinterest solely for inspiration and vision boards. When I occasionally get acrylic nails, Pinterest is the first place I go to find cool design ideas. I do find it very low-stress since there are no follower/like counts on profiles. Scrolling on Pinterest these days is also much nicer than on TikTok or Instagram Reels because you aren’t seeing political videos, sad news, or disturbing, violent images.
Although it is not as addictive as other social media, I think that Pinterest has some of the same idolistic characteristics of Instagram. It can be too easy to get lost in the aesthetics. It is easy to see something attractive and associate a feeling with it and then begin wanting the life we imagine it represents. I love a good vision board myself, but it can be hard not to build one just based off of aesthetic trends. I think the whole point of Pinterest is to find your own inspiration for things, and trends make things basic. If everyone’s bedrooms and living spaces look minimalistic, where’s the fun in that? I love having my own small little trinkets on my windowsill and desk, it allows me to express myself and my personality. My roommate has a ledge of Sonny Angels and Smiskis above her desk, and I couldn’t see her room without it. Trust me, she is also very coordinated with her decorations and furniture, it’s just the small touches that really show her personality.
As for goal setting, Pinterest can be a great tool. I mean, that’s what vision boards are all about. I love making vision boards at the start of a new year, or when I feel like I need a reset. My favorite way is on paper by cutting out magazine or photo clippings. There is just something about physically making the vision board that adds to the whole vibe of it. Being able to set goals and visualize a lifestyle to attain for yourself can be really helpful and refreshing. Seeing places in the world you want to visit, things you want to do, and a future that you love on a board right in front of you makes abstract goals feel concrete, and some people actually swear by speaking things into existence. I personally just like visualizing things that are out of my reach right now, but could actually be a possibility in the future if I work towards them.
The potentially toxic part of Pinterest that I was getting at earlier is when these goals turn into pressure. Just like Instagram, it is easy to get caught up in the aesthetics and the thought that these are the “perfect” ways to live. Repeated exposure to beautifully styled homes, bodies, routines, and vacations can make exceptional curated scenes seem like ordinary expectations. One thing I have to bring myself to realize often is that images on Pinterest often show polished outcomes without the time, money, setbacks, or effort behind them. Along with this, even though a lot of people buy some pretty cool things from Pinterest, it can be easy to get wrapped up in that too. A vision of an ideal life can quickly become a shopping list: the clothes needed for a new aesthetic, the products for a skincare routine, the furniture for a dream bedroom, or the accessories associated with a productive lifestyle. That is why I try not to use Pinterest too much, there are so many other social media platforms that can make certain lifestyles feel like the “correct” ones, and I’d rather keep Pinterest for my own niche inspirations and future vision boards.