Almost every person who I know either has a Pinterest or likes to scroll through Pinterest in his or her free time. I don't quite remember when it officially became a "thing," but I am forever grateful for it. However, there are many aspects that aren't exactly ideal about the website. Here are a few of my observations about the ups and downs of being a pinner on Pinterest.
1. Ideas
Obviously, people use Pinterest to discover new ideas. I know that I have a board specifically for things like "my ideal wedding" or "future home ideas." Half of the time I don't ever end up recreating the things that I pin. However, they're always nice to look at and it puts me into a more creative mind-set.
2. Inspiration
Depending on how you choose to use Pinterest, it can be a great place for inspiration. I have a board for working out and for goals, which I often turn to when I'm in a slump and don't feel like exercising. Once I see the pictures and ideas, they help to get me going. I also like to use Pinterest to find great quotes that also inspire me to be the best that I can be.
3. Addicting
A negative aspect of Pinterest, however, is that it can be extremely addicting. I can spend hours scrolling through different images and looking through the suggested ones underneath. Eventually, you have to remind yourself that there's a real world out there, but if it's used in moderation, it's a fun website and app.
4. Difficulty
There have been countless times when I saw some "super easy" craft idea that I decided to try to imitate. However, it rarely turns out the way that you imagined. Typically, they end up looking like some 4-year-old tried to copy a professional's artwork.
5. Helpful
Sometimes, I have found Pinterest to be a helpful resource when I was going to college or planning to travel somewhere. There are countless college packing lists and dorm ideas on Pinterest and being able to pin it to a board so that you can view it later is the best part!
6. Pinning
Being able to pin all of your favorite images to a board that you can easily access later is probably the thing that makes Pinterest so great. Instead of having to save the website link, you can simply pin the picture with the link attached to your board.
7. Recreating
I have pinned so many pins over the course of multiple years, but if I tried to recreate half of the things that I've pinned, it would take millions of dollars. There are so many unique and interesting ideas that I've seen and wanted to make myself, but it would take a lot of money to go out and buy the equipment and materials to make them.
8. The Home Board
The home board or home screen is probably my least favorite aspect of Pinterest, simply because it typically shows things that friends have pinned as well as "suggestions" for what you should pin. I realize that I love cats, but I must say that I have never made a board for pictures of cats and, somehow, my home screen is always completely filled with pictures of cats. I'm not really complaining about this, but it would be nice if the home screen leaned a little more towards things that I've shown interest in.
Obviously, I love Pinterest. I spend quite a bit of time on the website and app, but, thankfully, I'm able to balance my time pretty well. As much as I love the site and use it frequently, it does have a few drawbacks. Then again, what doesn't?
