Pinterest is seeking to differentiate itself from different social apps, by highlighting how its methods are constructed to facilitate extra optimistic, useful experiences, versus addictive, compulsive behaviors.
Through a new examine with UC Berkeley’s Better Good Science Heart, Pinterest says that daily interplay with inspiring content material within the app helped Gen Z faculty college students to buffer towards burnout and stress, ‘even once they have been finding out for hectic faculty exams’.
Although the examine was considerably uncommon – Pinterest had a bunch of examine members both use Pinterest for 10 minutes per day or resolve on-line jigsaw puzzles for similar period of time, constantly over two weeks. The comparability was designed to provide some measure of differential profit between utilizing Pinterest or conducting one other impartial exercise.
The researchers discovered that as the top of 12 months exams interval approached, stress and nervousness ranges within the members elevated:
“Nevertheless, in college students assigned to the Pinterest situation, we discovered that simply 10 minutes a day in search of out inspiration buffered towards the rising burnout, stress and social disconnectedness we might see of their vagal tone information. This had penalties for emotional wellbeing, bodily well being and social connectedness.”
The examine additionally discovered that lively engagement with inspiring content material on Pinterest ‘mitigated the results of bodily stress on folks’s every day optimistic emotion, preserving their capability for feeling good’, whereas social connectedness additionally elevated.
“We additionally discovered that increased ranges of inspiration make it simpler to loosen up. This increased stage of rest was uniquely “unlocked” by in search of inspiration on Pinterest, and was not true of the management situation.”
It’s an attention-grabbing examine, 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 entrance have different from different platforms, because it’s sought to align its instruments round extra wholesome interactions, versus optimizing for uncooked engagement.
“Over the past decade, we’ve made deliberate selections to engineer a extra optimistic place on-line. For instance, our algorithm prioritizes specific alerts from individuals who use Pinterest: extra acutely aware, lively engagements, like “saving” an thought. We use these lively alerts to find out what you see first on Pinterest.”
Pinterest says that social platforms must be extra intentional in regards to the content material they rank, and extra lifelike in regards to the results it will probably trigger.
“Rating for views can actually promote some nice, entertaining content material, however sadly it’s simply nearly as good at surfacing divisive and polarizing content material that retains folks hooked. If we’re going to curb the disaster that social media has created, the solely possibility is to inform AI to do one thing completely different.”
Pinterest says that it’s seeking to buck this development by specializing in ‘impressed actions’, and direct consumer alerts, so as to solely present folks what they need to see, not what is going to hold them scrolling, essentially.
“A great instance of a kind of actions is ‘saves’. When folks see one thing on Pinterest that they need to act on, they hit ‘save’. And after we prioritize what will get ‘saved’ within the content material we present folks first on the platform, abruptly the photographs and movies which might be top-performing don’t distract you out of your life (like gross-out movies or conspiracy theories), however truly allow you to enhance it (like step-by-step guides, self-care concepts, inspirational quotes, how-to movies). Just by telling AI to prioritize one thing extra nourishing, we are able to construct a extra optimistic and provoking web.”
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 house.
It’s an attention-grabbing consideration, and it’s one thing that the majority social platforms have at the least voiced, regarding the need to create extra significant, useful experiences, versus maximizing time spent. However on the similar time, consumer counts and time spent are key metrics for social platforms, so it is sensible that they’re seeking to optimize for these metrics – which, as Pinterest notes, may also 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 examine 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 useful experiences.
You possibly can learn the total examine right here, and Pinterest’s overview of its method right here.
