The harms of social media is a topic consistently brought up by our generation. We’ve heard the negative effects that lead to poor mental health, decreased self-image, and anxiety. While we acknowledge these distasteful effects, we continuously use these platforms daily.
Ever since the poor effects of social media have been broadcasted to the public, innovators have worked to invent an app that is a “safe space” on the internet. Although it is a pleasant idea to create something that spreads happiness rather than leading to the unpleasant effects of social media, it is almost impossible to do so. Looking at recent inventions that have made their way into social media, the problem may not be the need for a new app, but a closer look at pre-existing social media platforms.
By this idea of pre-existing social media, I do not mean Instagram, Snapchat, or even the most popular of them all, TikTok. Out of all the platforms that consume our daily lives, Pinterest is the finest of them all.
Pinterest was launched back in January 2010. Instead of the application focusing on the connection between people to people, it provides the connection between people and their ideas. This social media platform is extremely personable and directed towards your ideas and interests. Pinterest takes the heavy feeling out of social media like no other platform ever has.
Pinterest can be outlined as the best platform ever to hit our internet. You may not be convinced as of now, but I guarantee that after you review these 10 reasons you’ll agree just the same.
#1. Unlike other social media platforms, Pinterest does not provide a whole lot of ways to communicate with other users. This is because the main intention of Pinterest is not focused around creating new relationships with other users. Pinterest gives ideas to users in order to get their brain turning gears and leave the app inspired. The only way to communicate through Pinterest is by comments or messages. This specific aspect of this social media platform aids the problem of others sharing or commenting on your post with negativity. Other users would not be able to contact or share their no-so-nice things to say even if they tried.
#2. Platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, or the most beloved, TikTok all share one common theme. This theme is having like counts on posts viewable to everyone who sees or interacts with a post. The existence of like counts baffles me because all it does is create a competition and sense of jealous between users of the platforms. Pinterest, the one and only, does not have like counts on any aspect of their platform. Not only does this create a more welcoming environment to those to post without worry of not getting enough likes, it rids one of the most toxic aspects present in social media.
#3. While other platforms have the ability to make your account private, no platform does it like Pinterest. Your boards and pins are completely save to you, unless you feel the need to share them with others. The amount of privacy offered in Pinterest serves comfort to those too self-conscious on interacting with posts that steer away from what is trending. Honestly, I have never ever found anyone’s, especially someone I know, Pinterest account without a deliberate search. This platform gives you the space to be you and fully submerge yourself in your interest without having to worry about the backlash of others.
#4. It could 1000% be said that after use of other social media platforms there are consequential negative effects. Such effects as jealousy, anxiety, or depression are continuous signs of engaging in social media. This idea can be applied for all social media platforms except Pinterest. I find it truly impossible to say that after an hour worth of Pinterest scrolling that you experience the same negativity you would on Instagram. Pinterest makes you feel productive, ambitious, and overall motivated. To prove this theory, I asked a fellow avid Pinterest user, Brita Klaverkamp.
#5. Without the main ability to communicate with those you don’t know online, it reduces the playing field for cyberbullies. More often than not, if you were to look at the comments underneath a Pinterest post, it is a positive statement or showing support to the creator/user. Pinterest is as simple as it gets. If a person does not like the content that either you or some other user created, they simply don’t interact with it. For example, let’s say you’re searching for DIY home projects to create a more aesthetic living space. If you were to search Instagram, you are most likely to find comments bombarding the content creator for every little thing they did wrong. Although, if you were on Pinterest, the most “hatred” related comment that you would find is constructive criticism if that.
#6. Pinterest has the ability for users to build and “pin” ideas they like onto boards. This is such an easy way for people to create vision or mood boards. The most crucial part of creating a vision board is to have is visible to you all the time. With a few taps of your fingertips, all of you boards are right there to look at on Pinterest. This social media platform guides users with the perfect foundation for goal setting, ultimately leading them to success.
#7. I would be lying to say that not all social media platforms are addicting. I would be even more of a liar to say that I am not addicted to Pinterest because I 100% am. The crazy thing is, the addiction isn’t a crave for likes or interactions from other users similar to a post on Instagram. Everytime I log onto Pinterest and I see it producing new ideas that are directed towards me, it’s like I just walked into a candy store for a first time. What’s so wrong with being involved in an app so directed towards your personal interests and makes you feel like a better person for using it? I rest my case.
#8. Pinterest is so focused on what is pleasing to you that cancel culture is nowhere to be found. Cancel culture is defined as the mass engagement in disapproval of something and exerting social pressure. The way Pinterest avoids this so successfully is because specific content is directed to all different users, lacking the mass engagement on one topic. Sure, users have interests that overlap with other users, but not enough to where cancel culture would take it rains on Pinterest. There is also no pressure while using Pinterest due to the fact that it’s independently interactive. You choose what you like on your feed without the pressure of other users to like a certain idea.
#9. Unlike other platforms, Pinterest lacks it a socially acceptable age group to use the app. For example, Facebook is considered a platform consumed by parents or any individual over the age of 25. Instagram is more widely used by teenagers and those in their younger twenties. I have used Pinterest since I was probably 15 years old and there is no stopping me now. I know so many people belonging to all the age groups imaginable that use Pinterest and experience everything is has to offer. Pinterest just really understands how to make a person feel accepted in a platform so large.
#10. Because the app depends on how you interact with content, it is extremely personable to you. As I grew older with Pinterest, I found that its ability to continuously match by aesthetic even when my vibe would change is unmatched. Pinterest also has this unique ability to appeal to all of your interests at once. The platform doesn’t hyperfixate on one interest presented throughout your saved pins, it always matches all of your goals at once.
