Pinterest is a social media platform that launched in January 2010, and has become one of the top 10 largest social media platforms within recent years. ‘‘Pinterest’’ is a portmanteau of pin and interest, according to TechTarget. Creator Ben Silbermann pitched Pinterest as a ‘‘catalog of ideas.’’ So, rather than posting images from your daily life, users organize the ideas on Pinterest in different categories, or ‘‘boards.’’ Common uses of Pinterest include making dream boards to visualize one’s life, saving pins with links attached for shopping, or saving a collection of pins that pertain to one idea, such as interior design or fashion.
Pinterest is generally a healthy source of inspiration. But, like any social media, it can be used in an unhealthy way. The use of Pinterest is very individual, so it varies from person to person whether it’s positive or negative. Louisa Keith ‘25, for example, said that “I really like to plan, so visualizing what something’s gonna look like can be really helpful.”
With the presence of social media, people have become obsessed with the visual aesthetic of images. Pinterest is the perfect platform to indulge in this obsession, as it promotes the romanticism of typically mundane daily events. Users will post, or “pin” an image of a cup of coffee, for example, and with good lighting or an interesting mug design, users will feel inclined to save this image to one of their boards in order to emulate the same peaceful, visually appealing energy this image conveys in their life.
This is where the unhealthy use may step in. Personally, I use Pinterest almost daily, scrolling through my curated home feed that promotes pictures of an idealized life. I love appreciating the visual aesthetic of each image, but when it comes to saving almost every pin to a board in hopes of that image manifesting itself into my life, it gets excessive.
This is not everyone’s experience, however. Phoebe Scott ‘25 said “I have this one board called ‘manifest’ which is different aspects of life I wish to attain, such as a girl studying at a big old library, pictures of mini dachshund cause I hope to have one, pantsuits I would wear…or what I would want my house to look like.” Phoebe also told me that she uses the platform “If I’m feeling down.” For Phoebe, and many others, Pinterest is a way to de-stress and visually organize her life.
Upper School English teacher Kaitlin Brandt uses the platform similarly. “I really like to collect images of whatever I’m into at the moment. So, sometimes I do interior design, I love to look at fashion images, sometimes I use it for teaching ideas, like images of a classroom.” Interestingly, Ms. Brandt formerly used Instagram for inspiration, but she “Sorta replaced it with Pinterest which I find it to be not as addictive.” So, is Pinterest a better alternative to Instagram because it serves a similar purpose, but is not designed to be addictive?
Upper School English teacher Fred Lindstrom doesn’t think so. He’s a “Big fan of instagram. I get so much inspiration from that, I notice people are able to make carousels or stories that have music, and that’s exciting to me.”
Mr. Lindstrom is a fan of Pinterest in addition to Instagram. He uses Pinterest as a teaching tool, and has a board for every book he teaches. He finds that “Using images is very effective in helping students understand setting.”
From interviewing various members of the Dana community, it became clear to me that using Pinterest in an unhealthy way takes a little bit more effort. Looking through other people’s boards or seeing how many followers they have is an extra step from just focusing on your personal account.
Mr. Lindstrom asked me what I use Pinterest for, and after telling him I essentially use it to visualize my life, he replied, “It really helps.” Getting validation about my use of Pinterest made me realize that it’s okay to use the platform the way that it was intended. We are mostly visual learners, so it makes sense that people use this technique in an attempt to improve their lives. Keeping in mind perspective and a little self-control, Pinterest can serve as a fun, useful tool in people’s lives.
Indresh Chandel