Claire Sadgrove, a first-year psychology student, says she created her first Pinterest account in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had friends on the app, and I remember seeing posts about Pinterest on other social media, like TikTok and Instagram, and I thought it looked like an app I would really enjoy,” says Sadgrove.
Founded in 2009, Pinterest once dominated as the go-to platform for creative inspiration and idea sharing. But with the popularization of Instagram and TikTok’s short-form content, Pinterest lost engagement and followers.
As new platforms become overwhelming with content, many users are doom scrolling, which comes with feelings of loss and guilt regarding productivity. The realization that people were losing their sense of creativity, mixed with having extra time during the pandemic has led previous users to reactivate their Pinterest accounts and Gen Z to start new ones.
During the pandemic, Pinterest helped users explore their own sense of style and bring their ideas to life in a time of physical isolation.
Munahid Shakil, a second-year general science student, has been using Pinterest long before the pandemic — since he was 11.
“In times where I feel too confined in my screen, I’d open the app and be awe-struck with the art and beauty the universe and everyone in it has to offer, which would inspire me to create,” Shakil says.
Jadhen Pangilinan, a fourth-year fine arts student, says he started using Pinterest back in his first year of university for a Studio Arts project and now uses it for artistic inspiration.
“Many artists struggle with creative blocks from time to time and Pinterest is a good way to motivate one to be creative,” says Pangilinan.
One of Pinterest’s standout features is its personalized algorithm and accessibility, according to some Western students. Users can see relevant pins regardless of where they are and what device they’re using.
“Its algorithm seems tailored to my tastes, so I’m always finding fresh ideas that resonate with me,” Pangilinan says.
The app’s usefulness evolves over time. While TikTok encourages endless, passive scrolling, Pinterest is more structured and project-oriented.
“As I grow as an artist, using image sources like Pinterest can be a bit juvenile in the art world,” Pangilinan adds.
Pinterest can also serve as the ideal digital planner. All pins can be stored in curated boards unique to each user, curating a personalized app that itches each brain differently. No two Pinterest home pages are the same.
“It helps me organize my thoughts and visualize what I want in life and what kind of person I aspire to be,” says Sadgrove.
Students say a couple of tweaks to the app could be made — Pangilinan notes that Pinterest could do a better job crediting artists and Sadgrove would be happy to see ads removed.
Although Pinterest’s functionality has changed little since the 2010s, its renewed popularity allows for more pins and a wider range of minds to come together in one space.
With its ability to craft a vision board for people’s ideas and projects, students say Pinterest has made a comeback.
“God talks to me through Pinterest. Whenever I would need an answer, Pinterest would help with that,” says Shakil.
