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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wisconsin chapter.

The best way to get to know someone?

Much can be learned from what someone pins on their Pinterest account. For the same reasons, people can use Pinterest to learn more about who they are. Pinterest is a social media site that consists of posts or “pins” of inspiration based on the user’s interests. It allows users to pin posts they like to personalized boards. The content often represents ideals an individual wants to someday achieve, but can also reflect humor, style, ambitions, and hobbies. There’s an option to hide boards from the public, but for the most part, everything is viewable by other users. 

Despite launching in 2010, Pinterest continues to be used by hundreds of millions of people. According to reports by Pinterest, women use Pinterest more than men, but the number of male users is increasing. Pinterest gives the opportunity to see who people are and who they want to become. This is seen through pins of clothing, recipes, quotes, exercise routines, decorations, and everything else imagined. 

Many Pinterest boards represent what people would like to achieve. Style is a common board that many people have, and it usually consists of things like clothing, accessories, and shoes. It can show a person’s ideal visual persona and their preferred style. On Pinterest, users have the ability to scroll down, so they can find similar pins, which is nice when a user finds something they like. 

Hairstyles, nail ideas, glasses; any type of style is reflected on Pinterest and in the user’s boards if it interests them. Tattoos are another common board that I think gives interesting insights into who someone is. Tattoos are symbolic, and often represent the user’s valued memories. Additionally, many people pin ideas of places to travel one day, aesthetic views, and other bucket list goals. 

What people pin often represents their values. Pins about family, whether possible activities to do or just a quote, reflect the importance of family to an individual. A user may have a wedding board indicating that she hopes to get married one day. A lot of pins about the gym reflect placing value on physical health and appearance. Users often pin helpful tips for school or jobs. 

In a way, Pinterest reveals the inspiration for people in their lives. What users pin reflects their ideals and reinforces their values. Looking at Pinterest can be a productive way to uncover who a person is and who they want to become. It’s an energizing site for people to use because they can find inspiration in things that reflect their interests. 

I am a junior studying Communications at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I want to work in public relations and I hope writing for Her Campus will help spread my influence and help people by creating relatable content.