I’ve been puttering around on Pinterest all day trying to figure out what the hell is going on and what is slightly irking me about it most…

Behold a new niche of the Internets: the easy sharing of our “inspirations”. With Pinterest, one can create a personal editorial board blooming in quick-flash time with glossy images that are not moving because of their content but because of the concepts they represent. A wedding dress for a happily ever after, a workout plan for a desirable frame, a ombre hair cut because that’s what everyone’s doing, and the most transparently tragic- a flock of birds for a freedom song.

My discomfort begins with the escapism of all of this. Pinterest is clearly what happens when a collective 5 (or so) years of personal overshare swirl into a perfect storm and we all just need to get away from each other’s lives (not to mention, our own), shut the fuck up, and express ourselves with pictures of dolphins and apple pie. Remember when people went outside and took walks?

Modern-day Americana: the value of soothing picture trading. Pinterest’s introduction kindly asks you to be positive as you Pin along- a request that most social sites not only ignore but might object to the adherence to (Youtube views vs. the number of hateful, horific comments that follow most popular videos=the ultimate example). Is Pinterest like a colloquial 2K mediation therapy? Is it soothing to share so little and still, share at all? You are much more than all of the things you want. If you’re kids are growing up in this world, please remind them of that. 

I met a very reasonable young guy last night who, like a lot of people, believes we should be rising up against the prejudice, ignorance, corruption, greed that is happening in our country today. He wanted to know where all of the great art is from this time, and where is all of the writing? And perhaps for the first time in this season of protest, I was angry too! Where is it? Because it’s not in the pictures of Spring collections you’re reblogging and it’s not in the Photo Booth shots you’re hoping to be Pinned so you can float away on our soothing share cloud. Please, create something from your heart—-  the consumerism that we cultivate when hours are spent perpetuating things that we wish to someday own, do, make, explore will otherwise become the images of our time.