By Vanessa Yu
Contributing Writer

In the age of social media, Pinterest is a pin-board style photo sharing website that is taking the media by the storm.

Pinterest was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra, and Evan Sharp. The site began developing in 2010 and in 2011 the site launched its closed beta with some 5,000 users. By August 2012, Pinterest opened to everyone without invitation or request.

Pinterest allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections like accessories, clothing, events, hobbies, interests and much more.

There is unlimited potential for the site’s expansion. Each day the site is evolving as people “re-pin” images to their own collection boards or “like” photos on someone else’s board.

Young Sun, a senior, is fairly new to the site but finds it to be a welcoming distraction in the midst of college applications.

Sun believes Pinterest to be an extremely good stress-reliever, constantly finding things she likes.

Recently, she has been remodeling her winter wardrobe after a board she created that is mainly filled with coats and boots.

“I see Pinterest as a real eye-opener because it exposes us to the culture and art of the world, unique to the age of social media,” Sun said.

Pinterest began with this mission statement to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things they find interesting.” The site itself is currently being managed by Cold Brew Labs and is funded by a small group of entrepreneurs and inventors.

Noy Baraness, a senior, likes to sum Pinterest up in one word: “addicting.”

Baraness goes on the site every day, scrolling down the page on a hunt of things she finds interesting. If she doesn’t find anything on the main page, she then goes under categories or types something specific in the search engine in the upper left corner of the site and renews the hunt.

“On Pinterest, the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ takes on a whole new meaning,” she said.