Pinterest Highlights Positive Benefits of Pinterest Use by way of New Study

Pinterest is trying to differentiate itself from different social apps, by highlighting how its techniques are constructed to facilitate more positive, beneficial experiences, versus addictive, compulsive behaviors.

By way of a new study with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center, Pinterest says that daily interplay with inspiring content material within the app helped Gen Z faculty college students to buffer in opposition to burnout and stress, ‘even when they were studying for stressful college exams’. 

Although the research was considerably uncommon – Pinterest had a gaggle of research members both use Pinterest for 10 minutes per day or resolve on-line jigsaw puzzles for identical period of time, constantly over two weeks. The comparability was designed to offer some measure of differential profit between utilizing Pinterest or conducting one other impartial exercise.

The researchers discovered that as the tip of yr exams interval approached, stress and nervousness ranges within the members elevated:

“However, in students assigned to the Pinterest condition, we found that just 10 minutes a day seeking out inspiration buffered against the rising burnout, stress and social disconnectedness we could see in their vagal tone data. This had consequences for emotional wellbeing, physical health and social connectedness.”

The research additionally discovered that energetic engagement with inspiring content material on Pinterest ‘mitigated the consequences of physical stress on people’s each day optimistic emotion, preserving their capability for feeling good’, whereas social connectedness additionally elevated.

“We also found that higher levels of inspiration make it easier to relax. This higher level of relaxation was uniquely “unlocked” by seeking inspiration on Pinterest, and was not true of the control condition.”

It’s an attention-grabbing research, and whereas the comparability between on-line puzzles and Pinterest use might not be wholly indicative of common advantages of utilizing Pinterest, it does present some measure of how the platform can encourage optimistic feelings and experiences.

Along with this, Pinterest has additionally outlined how its efforts on this front have varied from other platforms, because it’s sought to align its instruments round extra wholesome interactions, versus optimizing for uncooked engagement.

“Over the last decade, we’ve made deliberate choices to engineer a more positive place online. For example, our algorithm prioritizes explicit signals from people who use Pinterest: more conscious, active engagements, like “saving” an concept. We use these energetic indicators to find out what you see first on Pinterest.”

Pinterest says that social platforms ought to be extra intentional concerning the content material they rank, and extra lifelike concerning the results it will possibly trigger.

“Ranking for views can certainly promote some great, entertaining content, but unfortunately it’s just as good at surfacing divisive and polarizing content that keeps people hooked. If we are going to curb the crisis that social media has created, the only option is to tell AI to do something different.”

Pinterest says that it’s trying to buck this pattern by specializing in ‘inspired actions’, and direct person indicators, with a purpose to solely present folks what they wish to see, not what’s going to hold them scrolling, essentially.

“A good example of one of those actions is ‘saves’. When people see something on Pinterest that they want to act on, they hit ‘save’. And when we prioritize what gets ‘saved’ in the content we show people first on the platform, suddenly the images and videos that are top-performing don’t distract you from your life (like gross-out videos or conspiracy theories), but actually help you improve it (like step-by-step guides, self-care ideas, inspirational quotes, how-to videos). Simply by telling AI to prioritize something more nourishing, we can build a more positive and inspiring internet.”

Pinterest additionally highlights its insurance policies to guard teenagers, its inclusive options and different parts designed to make it a extra welcoming, optimistic social media area.

It’s an attention-grabbing consideration, and it’s one thing that the majority social platforms have at the very least voiced, regarding the want to create extra significant, helpful experiences, versus maximizing time spent. However on the identical time, person counts and time spent are key metrics for social platforms, so it is sensible that they’re trying to optimize for these metrics – which, as Pinterest notes, also can see unfavorable content material amplified, as argument and division are core parts in ‘engagement’ by way of feedback responses.

It’s good to see Pinterest taking a extra definitive stand on this, and whereas the comparability research could not really feel like a definitive argument for its full advantages, it does give some indication that Pinterest utilization can result in optimistic and helpful experiences.

You’ll be able to learn the complete research here, and Pinterest’s overview of its strategy here.