Pinterest Is the Devil: Five Sinister Truths About the Third Most Popular Social Network

Ciara LaVelle April 11, 2012 9:00AM

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It all seemed so innocent at first. The pretty pictures, the overwhelmingly nice comments, that swirly, scripted P.

Once upon a time, Pinterest was merely a way to share all that was cute and aesthetically pleasing in the world -- without getting defriended by your Facebook connections who didn't want to get inundated with recipes and home décor tips.

But like an expertly decorated, poo-flavored layer cake, something evil lurked beneath Pinterest's cheery surface. Five things, to be precise. And now that it's the third most popular social network in the U.S., those sinister truths are rearing their vintage-styled, expertly braided heads. From iffy online morality to passive-aggressively judgmental messages, Pinterest has morphed from the pretty, friendly new kid in class into the full-blown mean girl of the Internet. And she hates what you're wearing.

Read on for five reasons to ditch the clique and go smoke behind school with the loners.

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Ciara LaVelle is New Times' former arts and culture editor. She earned her BS in journalism at Boston University and moved to Florida in 2004. She joined New Times' staff in 2011.

Contact: Ciara LaVelle

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