We’re living in strange times. The hope of the post-Covid era combined with eco-anxiety and fears surrounding the current cost-of-living crisis certainly make for many an unsettled mental state. Enter: the wonderful world of Pinterest.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen a huge rebellion against the ‘perfect’ aesthetics of most visual social platforms, with the newest app on the block BeReal taking social media by storm with its ‘anti-Instagram’ mission and branding.
Even Instagram itself has seen the rise of ‘photo dumps’, a much less curated, more ‘reality-based’ trend that sees users compiling a series of casual snapshots of their lives. In other words, Gen Z has officially taken over, and ‘real’ is the new ‘cool’.
And yet, in spite of it all, the very antithesis of this movement is rising from the ashes. That’s right, the original ‘make-believe-I’ve-got-my-life-together’ platform has made a return to the scene. Pinterest is back on people’s radar for the first time in a few years, and we’re living for every second of it.
Officially classed as a ‘visual search engine’, Pinterest is undoubtedly a platform unlike any other. Built on the aspirations of its users, it acts as a beacon of hope to those going through tough times, despairing at the state of the world, or maybe just looking for a little bit of recipe inspo. It’s the platform you turn to when you’re looking to better yourself – a hub of inspiration for getting your sh** in order.
Is some of the pristine, picture-perfect content on the site unrealistic? Sure. Does it somehow seem less damaging than the shiny highlight reel of unachievable lives that is Instagram? Also yes, somehow. There seems to be a mutually understood layer of separation between Pinterest and reality that’s a lot more blurred with Instagram. Pinterest boards are curatable, serving the sole purpose of motivation to achieve the ideal lifestyle. On Instagram, the lack of realism is somehow much less transparent, leading to unrealistic expectations and, consequently, a feeling of disappointment and failure in its users.
All of this considered, it’s not THAT much of a shock that Pinterest is having a little revival. The last few years have been seemingly nothing but a newsreel of bleak upon even more bleak. Escaping into a little fantastical online space of pristine outfits, deliciously healthy recipes and seamless hairstyles every now and again never did anyone any harm.
As for Truffle, we’re no different from the rest! We’ve been pinning to our heart’s content recently, and have no plans to stop anytime soon. Check out our daily pins here!
Are you using Pinterest? Pop us a DM to let us know!