Pinterested?

Haley Partus
Sigma Kappa

Social media seems to be taking over the world we live in. I find myself, especially when I am trying to get something done, spending hours on social media sites, whether its Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

I recently joined Pinterest, although it’s been around for a few years now. I’m still learning the ropes, so I asked some of my friends about the site. While we were talking, somehow we got on the topic of Facebook when it first started. I told my friends that I remember when you had to be invited to Facebook and exactly who invited me. Pinterest is just like the old Facebook in the sense that you have to be invited. Facebook these days is so popular that anyone can join, but I think the exclusivity made people curious and have a greater desire to see what its all about.

I remember back in the day when AIM chat was the coolest thing. I would get home from school, have a snack and get online. Some of you might remember having a profile where you could write information about yourself and select icons.

I know it's cheesy, but it really is amazing how far we’ve come with technology.  AIM was my first type of social networking, then Facebook, then Twitter and now Pinterest. I am completely addicted.

Pinterest is different then most social networking because the pictures you choose for your pages are not your own. Pinterest allows you to “pin” different pictures from the web or other people’s pages that you want to see in the future.

It gives you the option to create your own board and profile so that others can view your page to see what sense of style you have. I personally love the site because of do-it-yourself projects and recipes.

You can also follow your friends' pages so that you can see their boards. The site allows creativity to be expressed even if it isn’t your own. The best way to describe it is a way to organize your personal style and to be inspired.

These sites, although distracting, are a great way to stay connected and even become better educated. Sites like Pinterest spur creativity and show off their style.

Social media will continue to grow in years to come. Some may think that social media are distracting us from the world we live in, but others may think it helps us to grow as people. I believe that certain sites allow us to express our creativity in a positive way, although it might distract us from the world in front of us sometimes.

Haley is a junior studying public relations.  You may contact her at hap0004@auburn.edu.