Description
Pinterest is a web and mobile application that allows users to create their own picture boards and pin ideas to these boards. The aim of Pinterest is to allow users share images, picture, GIFS and short videos with each other and that by sharing these images, it will act as a source of inspiration for creative projects. These can include ideas for home renovation, up-cycling of old materials, swapping recipes or planning for a big occasion such as a birthday party or wedding. Pinterest is a free website that requires registration to use. Users typically collect images from Pinterest and other sites online and ‘pin’ these images to their ‘boards’ on their accounts. Pins saved from one user’s board can be saved to someone else’s board, a process known as “repining”. Boards are collections of pins dedicated to a theme such as quotations, travel, food, fitness, etc.
Key functionality
- Compatibility: Accessible through computers & mobile devices
- User accounts: Users need to register to be able to use Pinterest
- Followers: Users can follow and unfollow users as well as boards.
- Verified Accounts: Similar to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Pinterest contains verified accounts. A verified account will contain a checkmark next to their domain in the search results. The verified profile will also contain a full website URL and checkmark.
- Pins: A Pin is an image that has been uploaded or linked from a website.
- Boards: Boards are collections of pins dedicated to a theme such as quotations, travel, etc. Users can upload, save, sort, and manage images and other media content (e.g., videos) through collections, i.e. ‘boards’.
- ‘Pin It’ Button: Content can also be found outside of Pinterest and similarly uploaded to a board via the “Pin It” button, which can be downloaded to the bookmark bar on a web browser.
- Guided Searches: Pinterest uses a feature called Guided Search, which gives keyword suggestions when entering a search term, narrowing down results.
- User’s Home Feed: A user’s home feed is a collection of Pins from the users, boards, and topics followed, as well as a few Promoted Pins and Pins Pinterest has picked for the user based on their activity and preferences. Following users and boards fills the home feed with content
Who uses the tool
0
Total Users
Platform
Gender
Age groups
Platforms
Privacy and user data
The app collects the following types of information from all users:
- When users sign up for or use its products, they give Pinterest certain information voluntarily. This can include their name, profile photo, Pins, comments, likes, the email address or phone number used to sign up, and any other information that users provide.
- Users may also give Pinterest permission to access their information in other services; for example, linking a Pinterest account to an existing Facebook or Twitter. etc. 2. We also get technical information when you use our products
- Log data – when using Pinterest, its servers automatically record information (“log data”), including information that a users’ browser sends whenever they visit a website or that their mobile app sends when using it. Log data may include Internet Protocol address, the address of the web pages visited that had Pinterest features, browser type and settings, the date and time of requests and cookie data.
- Device information – Pinterest also collects information about the device a user is using Pinterest on, including what type of device it is, what operating system it is using, device settings, unique device identifiers and crash data.
- Pinterest may get information about users and their activity outside Pinterest from its affiliates, advertisers, partners and other third parties they work with.
- Online advertisers typically share information with the websites or apps where they run ads to measure and/or improve those ads. Pinterest also receives this information, which may include information such as whether clicks on ads led to purchases or a list of criteria to use in targeting ads.
The app uses this information to:
- Improve its products and services to users.
- Develop new products.
- Offer users customized content, including: suggesting Pins or boards users might like and showing users ads that they might be interested in.
Using the tool for PROMOVET
Advantages
- As it is a platform that older users and adult tend to use, it might be a good platform to introduce to teachers as an initial step in getting them to accept using social media platforms for teaching and education.
- There are some applications for Pinterest in the areas of project planning, personal development and career guidance through the use of Pins and Boards that teachers could use as an alternative approach in their teaching practice.
- As a web-based platform, teachers and learners could engage with Pinterest on laptops and PCs which most schools have access to.
Disadvantages
- Young learners tend not to use Pinterest and so it may be of little benefit for PROMOVET partners to develop materials to encourage teachers to use this social media platform in their teaching when young people are not engaged with it.
