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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.

On the outside, Pinterest appears to be an app that allows access to a world full of ideas and inspiration at your fingertips. However, there are other parts to Pinterest that might not get as much attention. While Pinterest has been one of my most used apps for years, I notice myself mindlessly scrolling on it just like any other social media platform. This also brings to light the excessive urge to scroll that has invaded the majority of the younger generations, no matter what content is being thrown at you. 

A key deviation between Pinterest and other social media platforms is that it displays photos from a more extensive variety of strangers. This allows access to countless photos to match whatever niche you’re in search of. Unconscious to the effects of the ease of content consumption, instead of comparing our lives to the people we know or want to follow, we are now also being spoon fed what looks like the “perfect” lives of people we know nothing about. It may begin as a mood board that you’re setting up to manifest certain goals, but if we are not careful and let our minds drift away, we find ourselves unsatisfied with our lives solely because we do not live as glamorous lives as the people we see online. 

Woman staring at phone at night
Photo by mikoto.raw from Pexels

The more time you spend on Pinterest, along with other social media apps, the more entwined and enslaved you become to the algorithm; as the algorithm not only determines what pops up, it performs meticulous calculations to keep you scrolling. 

In spite of all the creativity flourishing on Pinterest, we should be aware of how it can also lead to  self criticism and desolation. Creating satisfying boards filled with our dream houses and destinations can be exciting for a moment, but once we descend into the reality of our own lives, we mustn’t forget the dazzling things we have in our everyday lives too. It’s also important to be cognizant that the creator behind the content you view has their bad days too—they just don’t broadcast them to the world. 

Beach filled with people by the shore
Photo by Oscar Nord via Unsplash

Pinterest constantly puts new ideas into your head, with you only having little say of what you see based on what you have previously looked at. The key is to use apps like this in moderation, thus spending less time comparing our lives to the unachievable ones we see online while still pursuing creating ideas that help us achieve our aspirations. I’m not saying to delete Pinterest and other social media apps forever, but we should be aware of the other side of the photos that are presented to us in a seemingly “flawless” manner. Just remember that behind every beautifully laid out kitchen and exquisite homemade meal is a person that is juggling the mayhem and wild adventures of everyday life, just like you and me. 

Aspen Salazar

CU Boulder '28

Aspen is a new contributing writer at the Her Campus chapter at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Aspen is currently a freshman studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology on the pre-med track with a future goal of working in the healthcare field. Aspen enjoys volunteering in her community whether it be at animal shelters or in the garden. In her free time Aspen enjoys playing tennis, spike ball, and on the occasion, pickle ball. She also enjoys baking gluten free treats for her friends and family. Aspen is especially fond of traveling, one of her favorite places she's visited being the Dolomites in Italy. You can often find Aspen hiking around Boulder, trying out new recipes, thrifting, or snuggled up with a good book in the fall.