Missy Stein

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The Pinterest Craze

• Mar. 28, 2012
• Topic: Wellness, Anti-aging

After my mom died, it was my job to clean out her apartment; a difficult task that ultimately led me to boxes full of treasures. I found things that I had never seen before—letters she’d received from my dad from after they divorced, a scrapbook with mementos like restaurant menus, sugar cubes and playbills from every teenage date that she had gone on, and a group of scrapbooks that were filled with items she had cut out from magazines. There were pictures of houses, kitchens, living rooms, appliances, clothing, sleepwear, hats and coats—all the things that she dreamed of having someday—each perfectly glued into its own, well-organized album. 

If Pinterest, today’s hottest social sharing website, had existed in 1951, my mom’s cousin who lived in Canada could have “virtually” seen the “Dress Album,” commented something like, “Love that dress, Soni. It would be perfect for an afternoon in New York City,” and then clicked through to buy it online.

So what’s the attraction? What are women finding on Pinterest that has it growing faster than any other independent site in history?

I imagine my mom sitting in the quiet on her bedroom floor with her favorite magazines cutting and pasting those things that reflected her taste and interests. And now I sit at my computer in my muted home office and virtually fill one of my Pinterest boards (an individual page you “pin” images/links to) with the same intent. “My Style” is a board filled with images of my favorite clothes from anthropolgie, the Holstee Manifesto, Adele, and a bottle of Moscato wine.

When I look at my boards on Pinterest they make me smile. They reflect back to me the best parts of myself, and inspiration for the things that I hope to be or create in my life. I imagine my mom’s albums did the same for her.

Perhaps the popularity amongst women lies in the fact it connects us as well. It enables women to come together as a group, sharing and inspiring others with what is significant —and even priceless—in our lives. Our best recipes, most beautiful photos, or favorite sayings become our online legacy passed on to others by “repins” worldwide, instead of bound in an album bursting with ideas that are just waiting to be found and shared.