My Preference for Pinterest: Not Perfect, but a Better Option

"Pinterest dubs itself a "visual search engine" as opposed to a social media platform, and I can understand that labeling. Whereas a key pillar of social media is networking, Pinterest is different in its types of interactions. Most users don't search out specific people- they search for a vibe, an inspiration. While all the content you are saving and curating does trace back to someone, that origin isn't really relevant."

"The disconnect between user and creator there (while not incredibly helpful for the creator, I'm sure) is key for me. I'm not being influenced by a handful of the same people over and over again. No one else's agendas are being pushed on me. I'm not building any virtual relationships- it's just me curating a vibe. The algorithm ties into this by giving you similarly styled pins on your feed rather than pins from a creator you've saved previously. Pinterest's algorithm is far from perfect."

"However, Pinterest's algorithm is far from perfect. I can't be the only one who has accidentally refreshed my page by scrolling too far up, only to lose those unviewed, aesthetically perfect pins forever. It's truly a tragedy. More recently, however, my biggest conflict with my feed is the inundation of ads and AI images. There are some settings you can toggle to lessen those, but it's still disheartening (and unsurprising)."

Pinterest positions itself as a visual search engine that emphasizes moodboard-style curation and inspiration rather than social networking. Users typically search for vibes and ideas rather than specific people, and pins trace back to creators without making origin central. The platform's algorithm prioritizes similarly styled pins over content from previously saved creators, reinforcing aesthetic consistency. Shortcomings include accidental loss of unviewed pins from page refreshes and an increasing presence of ads and AI-generated images, though some settings can reduce those. Many users curate private boards for niche interests and future reference, using Pinterest primarily as a personal moodboard tool.

Read at Her Campus