Pinterest is becoming just another social media app enforcing unrealistic standards of success.
With 537 million monthly active users, Pinterest has been a widely used app for curating an “ideal” lifestyle. Whether to set the vibe for the coming season as winter rolls around or to create a specific personality, Pinterest is a trove of inspiration.
When Pinterest was first released to the public in 2010, it gained popularity as a platform where users could gather and arrange ideas: a “digital pinboard.” By 2011, it had reached 10 million users, breaking records.
What began as this digital pinboard for organizing photos and inspirations has now become a hub for influencers and brands driving trends. Pinterest began emphasizing aesthetically pleasing, curated photos, which has become yet another ideal of a perfect life.
Vision boards of carefully compiled and neatly arranged lives took over, creating a new standard of perfection.
This raises the question: do Pinterest boards inspire realistic ideals, or do they promote unattainable goals?
With TikTok trends becoming more popular, Pinterest has hopped on the bandwagon. A prime example is the “It girl/Clean girl” aesthetic that began on TikTok, combining elements of minimalism, self-care, and a classy, polished look. The beauty magazine Byrdie called the trend unattainable, saying: “From head to toe, the clean girl aesthetic requires you to be at your best, without looking like you spent time getting there.”
From minimal makeup, effortless hairstyles (that aren’t actually effortless), and a very chic sense of style, the clean girl image adheres to conventional beauty standards, balancing sophistication with simplicity.
But it’s far from simple.
Algorithms have amplified this idea of the “perfect girl” by promoting similar content and frequently showing an endless scroll of photos.
These aesthetically pleasing images often align with conventional Western beauty standards, fitness ideals, and unattainable lifestyles.
This change makes it harder for users to resist comparing themselves to these curated ideals, which can have negative effects on mental health. From body image concerns to the pressures of perfection and the overwhelming information overload, Pinterest reflects the bigger challenges of social media.
However, this app still holds potential for positivity. When used mindfully, it can remain a source of inspiration free of the pressures of comparison. Vision boards can help users organize goals, find motivation, and celebrate creativity. My Pinterest boards are full of drawings, gym workouts, recipes, and photos of my dream job and aspirations.
Pinterest can be the ideal app for creating the perfect vibe. You can find any photos you want and create any kind of board you like. Whether you’re curating your dream style, gathering inspiration for your future home, or choosing your next nail colour, Pinterest’s versatility is like no other.
Ultimately, the key lies in how we engage with what is presented to us through Pinterest. If we can recognize that the “perfect Pinterest girl” is just an ideal — a curated girl — we can use the platform for what it was meant to be: a fun, creative space to explore and express ourselves.
