Pinterest: Digital
Scrapbook or Identity Creator?
Pinterest. The name combines the word “pin” with
“interest”. Its name describes the site perfectly. Users pin
pictures onto boards which they categorize by their interests. The
concept sounds simple, but there is still plenty of interest and unknown
knowledge about what the site Pinterest really is.
Pinterest first became a concept in 2009 by Ben Silbermann (DesMoinesRegister.com).
In a year he managed to get the site up and running with the help of Cold
Brew Labs Inc. which still manages the site and is located in Palo Alto,
California (Domain Tools). The creators
of Pinterest included a mission statement which says:
“Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through
“things” they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or
recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new
pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based
on shared tastes and interests.”(Pinterest)
The concept of Pinterest is unique in that potential new
members must first request an invitation to join. Waiting to receive an
invite takes about two weeks. After new members have been sent an
invitation they have the option to sign in through their Facebook account or an
email account. Logging in through Facebook allows for members to post
their pins onto their wall.
The layout of the site consists of the Pinterest logo,
which is retro style block letters with the “P” looking like a push pin.
Square pictures reside below the logo. The layout of Pinterest is similar
to sites like CraftGawker and Stumble Upon. These are the pins that are pinned
from other users. Members create boards based on their personal interests.
The boards can be titled by the owner of the account and the pins are
pinned onto the boards. Users can like other users pins, follow other
users or just certain boards. They can also re-pin other pins of the
site.
On the Press section of Pinterest they include quotes from
media sources. A quote from Time magazine stated:
“Perusing other folk’s boards, featuring everything from
picturesque travel scenes to oddly beautiful bacteria, is as enjoyable as
building your own.”(McCracken)
The
mass appeal of a site like Pinterest is the inspiration that can be found as
well as the ability for the site to use up spare time. There are many different categories available
to browse through as well as videos.
Pinterest
relies heavily on user interaction and other websites. The pins are links to other sites where the
information is originally from.
Pinterest is a form of digital media called hypermedia (Manovich 39). It
is many links that are independent of each other, but they connect users to
other websites. Hypermedia is the
digital concept of Pinterest, while inspiration and networking are its goals.
Any
individual with online access can use Pinterest. The creators also made an app for smartphones
and other digital devices. The site gains new content (pins) by outside
web sites that have the “Pin It” button on their page. Outside sites must agree to Pinterest’s terms
of use, Acceptable Usage Policy, and Copyright Policy before they can include
the “Pin It” button or the “Follow Me on Pinterest” button (Pinterest). The “Follow Me on Pinterest” button allows
Pinterest users to easily follow the outside site’s Pinterest account.
The
content that is available on the site is appropriate in scale. The Pin Etiquette
page states rules for what is appropriate as well as information on how
to flag inappropriate content which includes user comments. A link is available for users to send
comments on ways they believe that Pinterest could be improved.
Pinterest
is not a digital photo journal, nor is it a website that produces its own
material. Instead it is a form of
digital media that allows users to link and archive other digital artifacts. Pinterest allows users to interact with other
users as well as sites. While it does
not allow users to change the content of the links, it allows them to change
the comments and what board they want to post on. This is another reason why Pinterest is a
true digital media source (Manovich 37).
It
is almost certain that Pinterest was targeted to both sexes; however the
majority of users appear to be female.
The age range caries from young teens to moms to older middle age
women. The characteristics of these
particular demographics are generally creative, have an interest in health and beauty
and are interested in cooking. While
Pinterest has a strong female following, the creators also try to appeal to
male users. Among many categories are
sports, technology, and humor.
Pinterest
can almost be considered a simulation. Users
choose if they would like to show their “true” identity by linking through
Facebook or if they would like to log in through an email. They can create an identity whether it is
that they are a history fanatic, health nut, or architect. The site allows for the false feeling of
creativity which has a part in a user’s identity on the site. It can almost be compared to Jean Baudrillard’s
simulation example of Disneyland and how Disneyland creates a simulation of
happiness while the truth is that visitors are in the middle of Anaheim
surrounded by dirt and not magical fairies (Baudrillard 166). Pinterest simulates the feelings of
creativity, health, or knowledge by giving users the freedom to create boards
of pins that they might accomplish, have accomplished, or will accomplish. Their organization is created by themselves.
Pins
play a huge role in a user’s identity on the site. If a fellow user clicks on another user’s
name and sees that they have many boards about crafting as well as health that
person may believe that the creator of the boards enjoys crafting and is relatively
interested in health.
The
environments that people create become their way for determining how they will
identify with the rest of the population (McLuhan and Fiore 167). Pinterest affects user identity in a
different way than true social media sites do; however it can be argued that
the site does affect identity. First
impressions from other users are made by judging boards and pins. Users begin to identify with their pins,
especially if they discovered something unique.
An example is the recent fad of the sock bun. After a woman explains how she gets her bun
so perfect, she may exclaim that she did not think of the idea herself, but
rather she saw it on Pinterest while simultaneously showing gratitude on the
uniqueness of her hair piece. Users
adopt ideas, thoughts, and inspirations from Pinterest, which become a new part
of their character and identity. There
is a constant change in identity every time a user posts a new pin.
Pinterest
may not be a true social media site. It
can be used for networking, but it is unlike Facebook or other sites in the way
that the mission of Pinterest is to spread inspiration and creativity. Users may not be logging in to Pinterest to
update statuses or read wall posts from friends, but they are logging in to
look for new inspiration whether it is a quote, picture, or recipe. The pins and boards become a part of user
identity. Great ideas are not always
thought up, but rather copied. Pinterest
exists to assist with this.
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