Although launched first in March 2010, Pinterest, a website used as a virtual pinboard, has gone viral on the web as well as within the student body. With about 1.36 million users daily, students have been finding all sorts of ways to join in on the pinning sensation.

By creating an account on the website, users can set up boards of specific categories where they pin different links. This function reaches the website’s goal to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting.”

This website gives users the ability to look at other accounts and if they see something they like, they can pin it to their own board. “I use it mostly for fashion and recipes,” said user Brittany Berlin ’12. “I can look at other people’s style for inspiration and seeing other people’s cooking and baking creations is so fun.”

Using these pinboards is creating an even closer relationship between technology and the younger generation. Ana Barcelona ’12, who has been an avid user since November 2011, calls Pinterest her addiction. “I [too] find recipes, fashion ideas, house ideas, and much more on it. I’ve already planned out my future wedding and home from it.” It has been referred to by many users in the Staples community as a way to do “online scrapbooking,” eliminating traditional scrapbooks.

Being able to pin on their boards, users can take their clippings, notes and pictures that would have been in physical scrapbooks to the web, on a much greater scale with this mass database and community. “Personally, I don’t like how our lives revolve around technology,” saidBerlin.  “But I guess it’s useful since I don’t have enough time right now to make my own scrapbook.”

As Pinterest increases in popularity, climbing up to the third most popular social networking site, other sites may be facing some competition. It’s biggest comparison and competition has been the website, Tumblr. Tumblr is a blogging site that allows users to expresses themselves through text posts, pictures, video, audio, quotes, links, dialogue, slide shows, and more.

With 42 million blogs through the site, it too has been climbing in social networking popularity. With their ability to post a variety of media, many users have been comparing the two.

Some users have faith that Tumblr will still have a chance standing up against Pinterest’s growth in popularity. Kumi Goto ’12, a user of both Tumblr and Pinterest, believes that the two sites serve completely different purposes and can both stand separately and successfully. She keeps her blog and her scrapbook separate.

“I would have to disagree and say that Pinterest is not the new Tumblr,” says Goto, “I still use both but Tumblr is more for things that make me laugh, while I use Pinterest as inspiration.”

Others predict that Pinterest will pull through and claim a higher rank than Tumblr. With the similarity of posting things of interest, some users prefer the layout that Pinterest offers compared to Tumblr. “I think it is becoming the new Tumblr. People seem to like [Pinterest] a lot more,” saidBarcelona. “It is much more organized and you find a ton of other stuff on it.”