Motivating visuals. Female members of Pinterest also like to motivate one another by sharing images of women who have the “ideal” body. These visuals show pictures of thin and fit women, who are not wearing much clothing. For example, one user’s board of “Thinspiration” tends to feature pictures of models at the beach. Several of her “pins” also show Victoria’s Secret “angel” models dressed up in bras, underwear and angel wings. These pictures serve to motivate fellow Pinterest users to continue working towards their goals of achieving the “ideal” female body.
Retail brands and fashion. Lastly, members of my sample had at least one board dedicated to specific items that they hoped to buy. For example, one user’s board shows images of fashion bloggers wearing clothing and jewelry from e-commerce websites. However, this type of clothing does not seem to be worn by this user on her Facebook profile, where she wears sweatshirts and casual tee shirts. Her fashion personality on Pinterest is one of the many examples of how my sample’s online presentation was shaped by the gendered ideologies of their community.
*Sarah-Rose will be presenting further details on this project this November at the upcoming National Communication Association convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.