I may require a Pinterest intervention.
Pinterest is a female paradise. That statement may sound sexist, but the stats back it up with over 80 percent of the site’s users being women.
I’d be the first to admit that, when the ‘visual discovery tool’ first came out, I didn’t really get it. If you want to look at pictures just Google them, I said in my 2012 naivety. Back then you had to be ‘invited’ to join Pinterest (from an already registered friend) so when I received one I signed up, purely out of curiosity.
It turns out that I wasn’t the only one. In April, the company announced that they had reached 175 million monthly active users, with three times year-over-year growth in Germany and Brazil and two times year-over-year growth in France and Japan. Just last month, Pinterest raised 150 million dollars from a group of existing investors and the company is now valued at a rather astounding 12 billion dollars.
Yes, 12 BILLION DOLLARS. For pictures. Collections of pictures. It sounds bonkers until you become an addict. Although the brand don’t identify as one per se, I’m gonna go ahead and say that Pinterest is my absolute favourite social media platform. Unlike other forms of social sharing, when I’m pinning I am not obliged to interact with other people. I can simply slip away into as many of my little fantasy worlds (boards) as I like and nobody can disturb me. On an utterly selfish level I don’t have to like anyone else’s posts, updates, or pictures. Nobody can open a conversation with me. I can be invisible while designing my dream kitchen, dream wardrobe, and dream travel itinerary – bliss.
It’s essentially my Wonka Land… Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination, take a look and you’ll see the world of my creation… If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it – anything you want to, do it.
A quick Pinterest table poll of my young colleagues revealed a disappointing level of apathy towards pinning, with the majority getting their visual rocks off over on Instagram. Indeed, the age demographics are confusing; the median age of a Pinterest user is 40, but the majority (67 percent) of active pinners are younger than that.
The ‘Insta’ fans claim they can have their imagery needs met in the same way but minus the ‘digital hoarding’, however I maintain that they are missing the point – the hoarding is the key. With three young children and a constantly over-stretched life and mind, the ‘save that dream for later perusal’ aspect is what I love most. Himself is also very confused about what exactly is going on with my pinning. Although men account for 40 percent of new signups, they only make up a measly seven percent of active pinners.
Anyway, he needn’t worry, I’m perfectly happy to pin on his behalf. Dream kitchen, dream wardrobe, dream travel itinerary, dream husband…
The possibilities are simply endless.
