5 Reasons Pinterest is The Absolute Worst

I've been skeptical of Pinterest for a year, but because I sometimes need an excuse to browse puppy photos, I'm a semi-active community user. More often than not, I leave the site frustrated, disgusted, and resentful, and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. From the Thinspo boards and pins that simply won't die to the overpriced items always making the rounds on feeds, Pinterest can be a terrible hellscape on the internet. Here are five reasons why it does more harm than good.

1. Despite the ban, the Thinspo movement continues to thrive.

I go to Pinterest for cute Boston Terrier snapshots and pictures of dessert masterpieces, not for disturbing images of gaunt people or concave stomachs. Yet even though Pinterest banned Thinspo posts last year, users still pin creepy thinspo photos constantly. I only follow animal, style, and food boards and continue to stumble upon horrifying photos of this nature, and that's never going to change. 

2. You can't always trace the origin of your pin

I've had a love/hate relationship with Pinterest since the very beginning, but I really got worked up over it when I found an adorable bracelet pin on my feed. It took me a while to actually find the vendor, and when I located the site to purchase the piece of jewelry, I learned it was out of distribution. What a waste of time for everyone.

3. It either makes you poor or miserable

I've never been a big shopper, but even I have a hard time holding back my debit card when looking at shoe pin boards. You can admire all you want, but once you realize those heels you just pinned cost more than $300, you either lose money because of Pinterest or feel bad about your life because of Pinterest. 

4. It makes you fat 

Was one of your New Year's resolutions to lose weight? If so, get off Pinterest. Now. Nothing will make you crave dessert or a second helping of dinner more than any given food-related pin. All the photographs of treats and recipes on Pinterest have made me so unhealthy that I created a "What I'll Pig Out On While Pregnant" board. In a nutshell: if you spend too much time looking at food boards, you will want to eat more and consume lots of carbs. Not the best site to visit when trying to slim down, get fit, or be healthier. 

5. It's a distraction from work

With more than 2,700 pins to my (user)name, I'd be lying if I said I hated everything about Pinterest. At best, it inspires you to strive for a better life. At worst, it makes you fat, forces the pro-anorexia movement on you, drains your bank account, lowers your self-esteem, and can keep you from doing actual work at your job. As if Facebook, Twitter, iPhones, Instagram, etc., aren't tempting enough, now we have Pinterest, a site all about pretty, shiny frivolous things we wish we had. Just what we need: more distractions on the internets!