Could a Pinterest Clone Ever be Popular?

Social networking is the biggest monster of our generation; wrapping around our unsuspecting ankles and creeping up our primitive legs until, in a few short years, each one of us is covered in a spider’s web of social networking spores. And it shows no sign of relinquishing its grip.

Image by Methodshop.com

Sharing

Now another creature has emerged; the dawn of interest sharing is upon us. For those of us who are behind the times, still struggling with emoticons and deciphering text talk, interest sharing websites are probably what you’d expect them to be; they allow their members to delclare ‘I like this’ to the cyber world. If you find all those updates on Facebook that tell you your friends are liking this or that thoroughly tedious, this new type of site probably isn’t for you.

Pin this, Pin that

Pinterest appears to be top dog; its homepage inundated with snap-shots each representing an interest posted by dedicated pinners. And if you thought it would all be movies, books and celebrities, you’re in for a treat. Anything, it seems, can be pinned- from arty photography to cupcake recipes. Whatever your interest, it can be uploaded and shared, signposting your personality.

Personality defining

Other sites have germinated as a result. The Fancy and Pinspire are among many cloning the prototype for expressing what makes you you. And they certainly are popular. The craze of sharing the details of our lives, our innermost or trivial thoughts and the hundreds of pictures from hundreds of nights out have undoubtedly led to a compulsion to share everything that’s left- our individualism. And what makes us who we are? How do we define ourselves? The things that interest us, the things we fancy, our inspiration.

This is all very handy in a fast-paced world where people want to connect and it is certainly a revelation that expressions of individuality are celebrated. Big business can also thrive; free advertising bred by individualism. In an instant, a product can become the hottest pinned thing on a number of websites spanning the globe; it’s a social marketing departments dream. Everyone’s a winner.

That these sites are popular is undeniable, whether it will last is undetermined. It may be wiser to start preparing yourself for the next new craze. Undoubtedly, the social networking monster that roams our cities, creeps into every home and worms it way into our psyche can only get bigger. It gorges itself on our need to share, our need to feel a part of everything else and our desire to express ourselves. As long as we feed it, it will grow.

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Hannah is a recent graduate of Creative Writing and Journalism who specializes in short story writing. She loves literature, reviews and creative blogs.  She is fascinated by social media and blogs for Strategy.

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