Pinterest, an image based social media network, allows users to investigate and save their interests. Users save images by pinning them to their virtual, categorized, bulletin boards. Pins link back to websites that the original pinned post came from, which encourages businesses to utilize Pinterest to help promote their products. Over 450 million individuals actively use Pinterest monthly, and of that number women make up 60 percent of the users while men make up 40. Almost 80 percent of millennial women and 40 percent of millennial men use Pinterest. Numerous individuals of all ages utilize the app to find inspiration for items like clothing and decorating. They also use the app to find other ideas for their other interests and hobbies. Pinterest privides pins from a variety of categories such as health and wellness, beauty, travel, DIYs, and women’s style.

 85 percent of U.S. moms look at Pinterest to find new products and ideas. Not only mothers, but fathers also go onto Pinterest for their own objectives. They search for objects such as DIYs to do with children, home gadgets, kitchen appliances, and fun outdoor ideas. 

“My mother and father always go onto Pinterest for various things. My mom goes on it to shop while my dad goes on it to look for things that we need around the house,” freshman Tyler Sumner said.

Youtubers like Jenna Phipps and Alexa Sunshine83 also use Pinterest to aid in one of their favorite hobbies, thrifting. Thrifting gained attention from teens because they finally found their own sense of style, and a more cost efficient  way to express themselves. People who thrift can use Pinterest to create a “thrifting wish list,” a list of things they want to find at the thrift store in the future. They also utilize Pinterest to explore other styles and to find other outfit inspiration to step out of their comfort zone. 

“Once I found my perfect style I tried to find it at normal clothing stores, but I couldn’t find it, so I went to the thrift store and found exactly what I was looking for!” freshman Kaliey Brummels said.

Due to COVID-19, a lockdown took place which caused people to search for a way to stay entertained and together virtually. For a while individuals could not visit stores and shop because of the virus, so they started online shopping more which made Pinterest even more popular. The app also gained a lot of popularity from businesses for online advertising. The effects of the virus left businesses looking for a way to expand online so that customers could still purchase from them. The love for Pinterest grew stronger through all the bumps in the road that COVID-19 provided.