Pinterest and Pornography

“Pinterest is to Women what Pornography is to Men.”

When I first heard someone say this, I was shocked and taken aback. Mostly because I didn’t one someone to think I was pinning boards of porn, and I didn’t want Pinterest to receive the XXX Adults Only headlines applied to houses of adult magazines and sites of adult images. I felt like someone had tainted a harmless hobby with the black stigma of impropriety.

But the more I thought about it, I truly began to see some parallels. I’ve talked with men and women about both topics, and I’ve learned quite a bit in my compare and contrast research.

Actually, many statements apply to both patterns of behavior.

For the following sentences, substitute Pornography or Pinterest for the letter P, and see if the statement is true.

* * *

P is a secret addiction for many, many people.

When I am finished with P, I look at the clock and think, Wait, what just happened? Where did the hours go?

P gives me ideas that seem simple and fun, but they actually can only be attained with the help of professionals.

When I’m finished with P, the joy is short lived. The excitement is gone, I remember that all of this is only mine to look at, not mine to love, and suddenly I remember that none of this is actually part of my own life.

P makes me feel shamed. I know I’m allowing ideas into my mind that can never be fulfilled, and I feel inadequate.

When I am on P, I can be someone else for a while.
When I am on P, I want more. And more and more and more.

When I go online, I never go to the P sites first. I save them for later, after I’ve paid the bills and emailed the insurance company… after my spouse is in bed.

I don’t want people to know all the P sites I have visited… and loved.

I just use P to unwind at the end of a long day. It relaxes me.

I am not addicted to P, but I know it’s out there, one click away.

* * *

I’m not going to go overboard on this analysis. Scrolling Pinterest for ideas is no more shameful than studying the charts in my doctor’s office while I wait for my exam.  But if you’re like me, you know when you’ve crossed the line, when this has just become more than a google search.

Know your weaknesses and set your boundaries.  Get more sleep and love yourself.

 

Tricia Lott Williford

Comments are closed

  1. Line that resonated with me most: “Get more sleep and love yourself.” Yep. This is advice I need to take. I’ve often compared my Pinterest account with a grown-up sticker book…mostly for admiring, with occasional usefulness.

  2. I wouldn’t really put it on the same level as porn. It’s more like looking a magazines, reading or watching tv. I guess you could become addicted to those things too. I don’t think that everything on pinterest is unattainable, either. I have done many projects and made many recipes that came from pinterest. And it doesn’t damage my relationship with my husband the way pornography would. Maybe it’s like his obsession with sports. I might get annoyed with it at times, but if it’s what he likes, I’m fine with it.

    Now, you can find porn like images on pinterest. I followed a man for awhile that posted nothing but nude or almost nude pictures of women. That got old fast.

    • These are excellent points, Joanna. Thank you for your feedback.

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