I have witnessed first hand the influence that Pinterest has on the blogging world. After having one of my crafty projects "pinned," my readership increased by a staggering 500% overnight.
After wondering what all of the fuss was about, I decided to create a Pinterest account of my own. I spent hours scrolling through images of home decor, craft projects, delicious looking food and adorable kids stuff. I became completely engrossed in all of the lovely images and before I knew it, I had spent an embarrassing amount of time on the site.
As the weeks passed, I began to notice that my list of wants had grown exponentially and to be honest, I didn't like it. I consider myself to be a very content person who has no interest in trying to keep up with the Joneses or the latest must-have trends. I wasn't happy with where my heart was headed.
That's not even taking into consideration the tremendous time suck that Pinterest can be.
Recently, I've been hearing about more and more backlash against the site. There have been scores of articles, like this one, about the topic of copyright infringement. I agree that it is a legitimate concern and I appreciate all of the people who have been campaigning for proper pinning etiquette.
My main issue is that Pinterest seems to propagate an unrealistic idea of what the "perfect" home, event or life should be. And as my blogging buddy Gretchen wrote last week,
I think sites like Pinterest put undue pressure on people, women
specifically, to make every occasion spectacular or pin-worthy.
That said, I recognize that I can't put all the blame on Pinterest for this trend. I think we bloggers are equally to blame. In fact, there have been many times that I have wondered if I am guilty of only sharing my most beautiful moments instead of the reality that is dirty dishes in the sink, unending tufts of dog hair on the floors and weed-filled flower beds. It's something that I want to work on as I move forward with this blog.
In my heart-of-hearts, I adore Pinterest. I love being inspired by beautiful things just as much as the next person. But in all honesty, I don't want to spend my time fixated on what my dream life could be when I have the opportunity to enjoy the one that I already have. It's a good one too, if I do say so myself.
So... I deleted my account and removed the link from my blog. I may still pop by Pinterest every now and then to see what's been pinned, but I can't allow it to become a regular thing for me anymore. It's not good for my heart.
4 comment(s). Leave yours!:
Hi there! I randomly found your blog while searching for a brie+baguette recipe - (so thank you!) and just thought I'd comment :) They sent out an email to tell everyone they'd modified their TOS and that their original TOS was basically taken from a formatted version that is kind of generic and used all over the web. Which, I realize, doesn't help with your time suck and list of wants growing too long, but I thought it was worth mentioning!
Great article.
I am thinking of ditching Pinterest too and... to be honest... I've LOVED it. LOVE LOVED it. However, I see all these crafts and recipes that look so appealing and it gives me this horrible sense of overwhelm, of adding things to an ever-growing and impossible list of things I want to do.
And that does nothing for my sanity, what little of it is left.
Glad to have found your blog. :)
Right on, I quit Pinterest too. It can suck the real life out of you. I feel better already. It was such an addiction for me. I am quite happy it is behind me. Part of the new me for the New Year.
Pinterest is a beautiful wasteland that sucks you in into contributing and creating a site with no degree of interaction or communication with anyone.It is like a vast museum with no human beings anywhere in sight.
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