Why It’s Time To Switch To Pinterest | Screen Rant
Pinterest could be a better alternative to Instagram for mental health. Social media can be a toxic place. Facebook is aware of the negative impact Instagram has on teens. While the tech company has tried to protect its young users, it hasn't had much success. It started a 'take a break' feature to prevent prolonged use. They knew that teens could get addicted, but not long after, it extended the 10-minute time limit to 30 minutes. As the Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, has shown, the company cares more about profit than its users.
Teens are not the only user group that Instagram can be harmful for. According to a recent report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, prominent women on the platform received abusive and harmful content in their DMs, and Instagram did nothing to stop it. So, why do users stay on the platform? It's still a social media site where people can promote their projects or work. But Reddit users are noticing that engagement is going down. So, if it's harmful and not producing results, it may be time to find another platform.
Pinterest is an excellent alternative for women who want to share images. The company has extensive Community guidelines that help to keep its users safe. It has rules against adult content, exploitation and hateful activities. Each category is detailed, so there is no vagueness about what's allowed or not allowed on the site. For example, there is no pornography permitted. This includes "fetish imagery, vivid sexual descriptions, graphic depictions of sexual activity and images of nudity where the poses, camera angles, or props suggest pornographic intent." In addition, the guidelines specify that "content about sexual health, breastfeeding, mastectomies, art, education and well-being with adult nudity given the non-pornographic context" is allowed. It will limit its spread, though, so someone doesn't accidentally find it.
Pinterest's guidelines about malicious activities can not only protect users it can also benefit their mental health. Pinterest will remove or limit the distribution of content that includes negative stereotypes, discriminatory ideas, hate-based conspiracy theories and attacks on vulnerable individuals or people in a "protected group," among other things. When users aren't being verbally attacked, they can enjoy their experience on the platform.
Pinterest was created for sharing ideas and inspiration. According to Hootsuite, "8 in 10 Pinterest users say the platform makes them feel positive." The company has worked hard to create a positive environment for its users. Pinterest created a report about the importance of positivity in 2020 that noted, "unfiltered content drives negativity. Without intentional moderation, platforms built on connecting people have—in the end—only polarized them." There is a constant debate about how much a platform should moderate the content. Pinterest has found that protecting its users from harmful content has created a positive environment for them.
While Pinterest and Instagram differ, they have enough similarities that the positives of Pinterest outway the negatives of Instagram. Users can still post photos of themselves on Pinterest. There are more personal photos popping up on the site. Influencers can sell stuff on Pinterest, just like Instagram, and according to Sprout Social, the conversion rate is even three times greater than on other platforms. Like Instagram, Pinterest is a great place to find fashion, cooking and home decor content. If users have various interests, they can separate them into boards so other users can follow specific interests. With more options for sharing content, a positive environment and detailed guidelines to keep users safe, Pinterest is the better social media platform.
Source: Pinterest 1, 2, Reddit, Hootsuite, Sprout Social