Pinning with Positivity: Why Pinterest is the best social media app

After a typical long day of Webex meetings, CAT worksheets and dance rehearsals, my favorite way to relax is to open up Pinterest — the best social media app of all time. Releasing all the built-up stress I’ve accumulated throughout the school day as I scroll through my endless feed of aesthetically pleasing home decor, new fashion trends and exotic sunset pictures.

While Instagram and Snapchat drag you into a hole of comparing followers and showing off your latest beach trip, Pinterest lets you escape the negative aspects of social media by sharing versatile content from the cutest necklaces to must-visit travel destinations. We’ve all fallen victim to comparing our lives to some fabricated influencer or peer on Instagram. The toxicity social media platforms bring are unhealthy and unrealistic. 

Pinterest can be used as a creative outlet to pin and sort all the visionary ways of expressing who you are and what you like. The topics are endless when it comes to finding what you’re interested in from quick, healthy recipes to 30-minute, at-home workouts — the underrated app has at least one topic everyone will find compelling. 

In recent months, Pinterest has become an online diary for me. My home page is full of folders that are little pieces of who I am. Organizing each clothing item, home decor or jewelry picture strategically into a specific folder has helped me discover my style and what I like. I catch myself getting sucked into my “dream home” folder planning how every inch of my future white-tile-and-farmhouse-sink kitchen will be designed.

During early lockdown, the app felt like a hobby with the long hours I spent pinning whatever recipe looked appetizing that day. I attempted every baking recipe and room decor DIY the explore page had to offer. Although most of the desserts I made were a flop, the vegan banana bread became a quarantine staple — which I still make to this day.

After hours of tediously pulling together “closet essentials” — my favorite folder — I was able to create a go-to spot for outfit inspiration, whether it’s a lounge day for online school or a fancy birthday dinner. With limitless pictures of streetstyle and dressy outfits, Pinterest has helped me pick out the right cropped top to pair with denim high-waited jeans.

The next time you go to tap on a social media app, ditch Instagram and go to Pinterest — you might be pleasantly surprised by the DIY bleached jeans and makeup tips you’ll find.