Love it or hate it, Pinterest has become a big part of our world. Even someone who has never visited the site or isn't actively pinning is sure to have at least a knowledge of the basic concept. But what you do with this addition to social media, is completely up to you.
There is a friendly debate going on within my circle of friends about Pinterest, and I'm sure you've heard it as well...
Has it become clear which position I hold here? Probably. Do I think less of those who hold the opposite position? Definitely not. In fact, I don't altogether disagree with them.
Pinterest is time consuming. How often have I sat down in search of a recipe for dinner and an hour later have pinned 20,000 things but still haven't a dang clue what to make and end up with grilled cheese? More often than I care to admit.
Pinterest can be devaluing. Countless times I have wracked my brain for a creative solution to my problem only to come up with the most original, best idea ever created...only to find out my best friend just pinned it 20 minutes ago. (Okay so this particular instance is completely made up...but ever heard of the saying that no ideas are original anymore? Totally believe that.)
Pinerest sometimes does make moms feel inferior. We all know that there are those moms out there that try to make others look bad by throwing the most elaborate parties, doing detailed crafts with their kids every day, have a perfectly spotless house, the most well-behaved kids, AND always looks like she stepped out of a magazine photo shoot. NOT really! Those moms aren't real, and yet in our perception they always show their faces on the worst days, don't they? So let's face it - we get enough of this in the real world, do we need it on all avenues of social media as well?
These are some of the biggest reasons moms tell me they don't use Pinterest. And you know what? If that works best for you and your family...by all means. But despite all these potentially negative aspects, I still choose to use Pinterest. I have to monitor my time on it - even if it means setting a timer to pick out a meal. I have to remind myself that my ideas ARE awesome, even if someone came up with it somewhere on the east coast the day before I did (we probably came up with it the same time anyway, given the time change). And if I catch myself slipping into the mommy comparison zone - its definitely a time for a break. I choose to use Pinterest because sometimes - I need a little inspiration! Whether it's for a fresh twist on a home baked meal, or a simple sewing tutorial for my daughter's wardrobe, or even to find out how to take crayon off my newly inherited furniture. And let's face it - if I didn't have an online pin-board....my desk would be just that much MORE cluttered with my inspiration board. And that's not a fight I want to fight with my husband. Again.
So where do you stand on the whole Pinterest debate? Do take Position A or Position B? Or somewhere in between?
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| This Domesticated Diva on Pinterest |
There is a friendly debate going on within my circle of friends about Pinterest, and I'm sure you've heard it as well...
- Position A would categorize Pinterest as an inspiration motherload and uses the site to its full capacity - several boards pinned with beautiful images of home design, dinner recipes, party planning ideas, style inspiration, and huge crafty to do lists. Some use this inspiration to beautify their homes and their bodies and feel a great sense of accomplishment when they do. Others simply find joy from gleaming beauty from the pictures.
- Position B finds the site an awful, self-confidence sucking, time consuming, devaluing, horrible, horrible creation to make moms feel inferior (or something slightly less horrific) and refuse to be a part of it.
Has it become clear which position I hold here? Probably. Do I think less of those who hold the opposite position? Definitely not. In fact, I don't altogether disagree with them.
Pinterest is time consuming. How often have I sat down in search of a recipe for dinner and an hour later have pinned 20,000 things but still haven't a dang clue what to make and end up with grilled cheese? More often than I care to admit.
Pinterest can be devaluing. Countless times I have wracked my brain for a creative solution to my problem only to come up with the most original, best idea ever created...only to find out my best friend just pinned it 20 minutes ago. (Okay so this particular instance is completely made up...but ever heard of the saying that no ideas are original anymore? Totally believe that.)
Pinerest sometimes does make moms feel inferior. We all know that there are those moms out there that try to make others look bad by throwing the most elaborate parties, doing detailed crafts with their kids every day, have a perfectly spotless house, the most well-behaved kids, AND always looks like she stepped out of a magazine photo shoot. NOT really! Those moms aren't real, and yet in our perception they always show their faces on the worst days, don't they? So let's face it - we get enough of this in the real world, do we need it on all avenues of social media as well?
These are some of the biggest reasons moms tell me they don't use Pinterest. And you know what? If that works best for you and your family...by all means. But despite all these potentially negative aspects, I still choose to use Pinterest. I have to monitor my time on it - even if it means setting a timer to pick out a meal. I have to remind myself that my ideas ARE awesome, even if someone came up with it somewhere on the east coast the day before I did (we probably came up with it the same time anyway, given the time change). And if I catch myself slipping into the mommy comparison zone - its definitely a time for a break. I choose to use Pinterest because sometimes - I need a little inspiration! Whether it's for a fresh twist on a home baked meal, or a simple sewing tutorial for my daughter's wardrobe, or even to find out how to take crayon off my newly inherited furniture. And let's face it - if I didn't have an online pin-board....my desk would be just that much MORE cluttered with my inspiration board. And that's not a fight I want to fight with my husband. Again.
So where do you stand on the whole Pinterest debate? Do take Position A or Position B? Or somewhere in between?
1 comment:
I SO hear you! I have been on both sides of the Pinterest debate. I ebb and flow. I like having it. Sometimes I use it. Sometimes I don't. It's sort of comparable to my mom's overflowing magazine rack full of Country Living and Southern Living growing up. I don't like the clutter of magazines (or the cost), so Pinterest is a huge help. :)
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