Time magazine rightly included Pinterest.com in its "50 Best Websites of 2011" column. I would also cast it under the "50 Best Procrastination Devices of 2011." With its unlimited supply of intriguing ideas, Pinterest can keep someone, specifically me, occupied for hours. First created in December 2009, Pinterest.com gained popularity in August of last year and currently receives around 11 million total visits a week, leaving many wondering what drives the site's appeal.
Essentially, Pinterest is the updated, preppier version of Tumblr, which similarly allows users to post text, images and videos to their personal blogs. The difference is that while Tumblr is solely a blogging medium, Pinterest is an Internet collection device which combines a fun user interface with facilitated web browsing. For instance, if someone pins a recipe for an avocado sandwich, you can click the image and be redirected to the full recipe located on the pin's original website.
In addition, the collage-like layout of Pinterest brings micro-blogging to a new level of aesthetic appeal, as each "board" centers around a specific category. A board is simply a category made by each user which can keep track of pins, essentially serving as a virtual bulletin board which you can share with friends. Pinterest suggests boards like "Products I Love," "Favorite Places & Spaces," "Books Worth Reading" and "My Style," but I would highly suggest a wedding and crafts board as well. Whenever you like something you find from your favorite retailer, you can "pin it" and post it on your style board for all your friends to see. If you find a funny cartoon while browsing, pin it!
If you are not the Internet scavenger type, there are still a myriad of beautiful and fascinating pins at your disposal on Pinterest. You can look for these pins by specific categories posted by other Pinterest users, or just look at them in the "Everything" category. On Pinterest you can find anything from "50 ways to use a mason jar" to the best New Year's Eve dress available. In addition, like social media giants Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest lets you follow your friends and their pins. In fact, Pinterest will link to your Facebook and indicate which of your Facebook friends are also pinning, and you can re-pin favorites from either friends' or strangers' boards to your own boards.
Pinterest has sparked my interest as well as that of millions of other users, and I will continue to spend many hours procrastinating with the intriguing site. My only warning to those who have not yet experienced the wonders of Pinterest: Make sure you have spare time before you start up your account.
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