Among all social media platforms, Pinterest is the least mentioned. This hidden gem of a social site is a hub for creativity and is rarely used to its full potential. Pinterest has collaboration aspects that allow a broader scope of the content. The application provides the feel of a digital diary that was not achieved on sites like Instagram or Facebook.
While, at its core, Pinterest has similar qualities to Instagram, the latter has transformed into something more performative than personal. Instagram tends to create an atmosphere where its users feel the need to create content for their audience rather than for themselves.
Pinterest allows its users to create and view other pins in the form of pictures. Pins are created and re-pinned to specific boards created by each user. The search page makes it easy for users to find specific pins and similar posts. The platform creates a personalized home feed by using previous pins and finding similar content, according to the Pinterest Help Center. There are also settings that can be used to fine tune your home feed.
“I like it better than the typical social media app, if you can call them that,” said Alden Plunk, junior anthropology major. “There is no pressure behind posting because the odds of someone seeing your content are slim to none.”
The rise of influencers has made posting on social media sites competitive by nature. With Pinterest’s ambiguity, users find it to be a haven where they can pin photos and ideas that encapsulate the lives they have imagined for themselves in their heads.
One of the best attributes of Pinterest is how it encourages its users to romanticize life. Taking photos of everyday events like lunch or the outfit of the day can seem trivial to most, but for the average Pinterest user it is gold.
Sharing these simple pleasures is what makes Pinterest such a special social media site: there is no judgment in what you post. Repinning other posts and organizing them into boards is a therapeutic pastime that makes users view their profiles as a digital vision board. Seeing one’s interests through the lens of their Pinterest home feed can make life feel more vibrant.
Pinterest is most popularly known for the inspiration it provokes. It is the go-to social networking site when planning events, decorating apartments and even getting dressed in the morning. The content is endless as each user’s home page is fine-tuned based on their niche interests.
Ambar Williamson, senior nutrition and food sciences major, has had Pinterest since 2013. She said she uses the app almost daily, drawing inspiration for her daily life. Most recently, she was able to use Pinterest to help her gain inspiration for arguably the most important day of a person’s life–her wedding.
Pinterest’s many uses and adaptability is the main appeal of the app. The idea of a digital diary is often misinterpreted. The romanticization of life through social media is rare phenomenon only possible on an app like Pinterest.
