Why Do We Pin? New Gratifications Explain Unique Activities in Pinterest

Abstract

Pinterest is now the fourth most popular social network site after Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn in the United States, offering its own suite of functions. This study investigated why individuals use specific features of Pinterest such as pinning, creating, liking, following, commenting, inviting, sharing, checking, searching, and browsing different categories. An online survey ( N = 113) revealed that a brand new set of gratifications (specific to digital media) predicted a large number of user behaviors in Pinterest. The results showcased the predictive value of affordance-based gratifications in shaping specific user behaviors on social-media.

Trending on Pinterest: an examination of pins about skin tanning

“…When users see a large number of likes and re-pins on pins that promote skin tanning, they are encouraged to follow the behaviors of both celebrity and noncelebrity human models in the pins with the motivation to look like them [36]. By examining comments and discussions about tanning pins, we can get a more in-depth view of how users who disseminate these images engage in communication around skin tanning risks.…”

“…In addition, users can explore different categories and search the pins they want to find. In a study on pinning activity and user gratification and motivation for pinning, Wang, Yang, Zheng, and Sundar [36] described how the pictorial nature of Pinterest emphasizes the visual over the verbal, conveying reality in a manner that is easily comprehensible to the user instead of requiring cognitive effort to understand the meaning of the pinned message.…”

“…Borrowing from the literature on tanning portrayal in magazines, research informs us that celebrity models in magazines are portrayed with significantly fewer sun protective hats and clothing cover [48], possibly signaling a norm around (un)safe sun behaviors. Similarly, the frequent portrayal of skin tanning practices (such as laying out in the sun or indoor tanning, engaging in tanning with friends) in visual pins on Pinterest may contribute to general acceptance of norms about skin tanning offline and send the "bandwagon" message, that is, everyone around the user is engaging in the similar behavior [36]. As well, exposure to individuals achieving desired outcomes on Pinterest can create outcome expectancies that are aligned with the outcomes the model in the pins has achieved, and that can function as positive incentives [46].…”

“…In an examination of Pinterest in terms of its content, user comments, and user behavior, "re-pinning" was the most frequently observed user behavior [32,35], and most user comments pertained to sharing opinion and judgment, engaging in dialogue, sharing a personal history with the image, and providing additional narrative details. Re-pinning can not only provide a measure of influence that the pin has [29], it can also satisfy people's need to be popular and accepted, particularly when their pin is re-pinned by a large number of people [36]. Pinterest allows users to follow like-minded others and form communities based on mutual interests, and re-pinning allows for proliferation and visibility of an idea [36].…”

“…Re-pinning can not only provide a measure of influence that the pin has [29], it can also satisfy people's need to be popular and accepted, particularly when their pin is re-pinned by a large number of people [36]. Pinterest allows users to follow like-minded others and form communities based on mutual interests, and re-pinning allows for proliferation and visibility of an idea [36]. As such, Pinterest has been redefined as a sharing and curating platform, which is beneficial for information use, reuse, and creation on the social web [32].…”