Who would have thought looking at photos of Funfetti cupcakes and pink patent-leather high heels could be so addictive?
Although the photo-sharing site Pinterest launched two years ago, it’s only now spinning into a frenzy, emerging as a game-changer in the world of social media.
The site, now the fifth-largest social network, is a destination for people to post their favorite online photos — anything ranging from shots of fishnet stockings to photos of cinnamon sugar-topped focaccia — and sort them into different categories called “pinboards” (essentially, online bulletin boards). Clicking on the photos redirects to the Web site where the shot was found. A snapshot of a navy lace dress, say, redirects to fashion blog Refinery29, where it was featured in a slideshow of 20 spring dresses less than $100 and has a link to buy the frock.
Pinterest, hailed by TechCrunch as the best new start-up of 2011, has been praised (and copied) for its simple, user-friendly design. More recently, it’s become one of the world’s most-visited Web sites: In January, it boasted more than 11.7 million unique visitors in the US. It’s now the country’s 16th most-visited Web site — ahead of CNN and the Huffington Post — according to traffic-ranking Web site Alexa.
Founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Ben Silbermann, the site has also spawned a slew of wannabes: There’s Gentlemint (Pinterest for men), Chill (Pinterest for video) and even Linterest for — yes, you guessed it — newly minted Knicks superstar Jeremy Lin (perhaps the only topic hotter than Pinterest right now).
What’s behind all the pin-sanity?
For some, the site is an outlet for posting symbols of one’s aspirations, be it a cozy home in Big Sur overlooking the Pacific Ocean or a rum cocktail you’re craving that night. It’s like an online version of the so-called “vision boards” popularized by self-help tomes like “The Secret.”
“It’s a group fantasy where everyone is feeding each other very pretty things,” says Gizmodo writer Sam Biddle.
“People are posting shoes they can’t afford to buy, recipes they can’t cook.”
Pinterest’s demographic is largely female — women account for 85 percent of the site’s activity, according to Internet marketing research firm ComScore, which might help explain why the site skews so heavily toward photos of recipes, home-design and wedding-related items like princess-cut Tiffany engagement rings. (Unlike other social media sites, anybody can see anyone else’s Pinterest boards.)
“It does feel very old-fashioned,” Biddle observes of its almost-retro tone. “You can definitely get a feel that it’s not advancing any feminist ideals as far as gender norms go. It’s basically clothes and cooking.”
Pinterest’s stark emphasis on photo-posting makes it different from sites like Facebook, which some say promotes an ego-centric, self-involved society.
“I think [Pinterest] is more about sharing things in the spirit of helping others,” says Clinton Hill interior designer Liz Lipkin, 45, “as opposed to promoting yourself.”
NYC’s most-followed Pinterest users
Jamala Johns
Harlem, 28, Web art director
321,667 followers
pinterest.com/jamalajohns
“I’ve been using Pinterest for about a year. My friend sent me an invite, and I had no idea what it was. I clicked on it and immediately thought, ‘Oh my God, this is going to be my undoing.’ I’ve always been someone who really loves collecting imagery and different kinds of inspiring content — I used to cut things out of magazines and put them into folders.”
Nick Goodey
Prospect Heights, 44, advertising copywriter
130,657 followers
pinterest.com/nick_goodey
“I go on just about every day and spend an hour or two [pinning]. One of the things [I pin] is photography. Another is retro fashion, from the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, and animals: People love animals. It does become mildly addictive — it’s kind of like online crack. I’ve also found it takes you out into the world — you can find a photographer, and probably at some point they’ll be coming to New York and have a show. It’s not just someone sitting at home pinning madly; there’s a social side to it as well.”
Jodi McKee
Bay Ridge, 35, insurance manager and photographer
310,007 followers
pinterest.com/jodimckee
“My husband jokes that I’m so popular on Pinterest because I’ve been on maternity leave, and right now I’m home with the baby. On Facebook, you’re usually talking about yourself . . . [Pinterest] is a little more outward-facing. I like to pin craft ideas, scrapbooking, recipes, clothes and jewelry . . . really everything. My friend is getting married, and we have a board for her so we can trade ideas. When we first found out we were expecting . . . my friends threw me a surprise baby shower, they used my Pinterest board to get ideas for the party!”
Paul Samples
Bushwick, 26, graphic designer
265,183 followers
pinterest.com/paulyall
“I started a Pinterest account in design school two years ago, before it exploded . . . as a way to organize color palettes. Now, I mainly use it for visual research — if there’s an artist that I really like that people should know about, I pin their work. I definitely spend more time on Pinterest than on Facebook. Pinterest isn’t that personal, but it is about what I enjoy and like and maybe other people like that, and maybe people will read up on an artist that they wouldn’t have before.”
christina.amoroso@nypost.com