Not long ago, one might have torn a picture out of a magazine and pinned it up on the wall with a thumbtack.
In today’s technology-crazed world, one might find a picture on Pinterest and, with a simple click, pin it on an online pinboard.
Pinterest.com is a virtual pinboard that allows people to find and share things they like and is designed to connect people on the web through shared tastes and interests.
“I think that it’s nice because you get to see a lot of stuff that you probably wouldn’t normally get to see,” junior Celesta Aust said. “It collects a lot of stuff that allows you to see how to do it, and you can just visually scan through and skip over all the stuff that you don’t really like.”
Categories that can be scanned on Pinterest include art, design, do-it-yourself and crafts, education, fitness and home decor, among many others.
“I like that you can type in anything and just get creative ideas for, like, arts and crafts type of decorating stuff, and also baking, because I love baking, so I’ve gotten recipes,” freshman Paige Rockers said.
One of the most popular categories among Baker students is the DIY and crafts.
“(My favorite is) the do-it-yourself stuff. That’s the part that interests me at least,” sophomore Caitlyn Metseff said. “Just, like, all the crafty things. (I’ve made) like a wall board thing … like a study board.”
To join Pinterest, members must be invited by a friend or request an invite on the website homepage.
If students request an invite on the website, rather than from a friend, it could take up to two weeks to be accepted to join Pinterest.
“You can go and use Pinterest and just, like, look at stuff, but you can’t actually pin stuff to your board until you have an account,” Rockers said. “I think the waiting list usually takes a couple weeks.”
Like other fads, Pinterest has become popular at Baker mostly through word of mouth.
“I’ve been, like, hearing a bunch of people talk about it, and how cool it is, and how it, like, occupies their time and things like that,” freshman Peyton Weekly said.
Last year, the website StumbleUpon made its appearance on the Baker campus.
This year, however, students are ditching StumbleUpon in favor of Pinterest, as it caters more to their interests.
“I feel like StumbleUpon doesn’t weed out as much stuff that I don’t like,” Aust said.
Of course, all good things are accompanied by a downside.
The story is no different when it comes to Pinterest. Although it can provide great ideas, it also provides an excuse to put off other tasks.
“One of my friends told me about it, so I checked it out,” Metseff said. “It’s really addicting.”