While the online world may be full of toxic imagery and unrealistic expectations — and social media platforms are being scrutinized for their role in all of it — Pinterest wants to shine a light on the positive ways platforms can highlight emotional well-being.
"Pinterest's entire mission is about bringing people inspiration to live a life they love," said Pinterest head of philanthropy and social impact Ariel Simon. "And, one of the first things that kind of we realized is that to live a life you love, you have to have a self you love."
To date, the company has spent more than $6 million on mental health initiatives. Products like compassionate search, which suggests helpful activities and resources when people are looking for troubling keywords like anxiety, are built into the platform.
Recently, it held "Pinterest Havens: A Whole Mood," a New York event meant to bring a mental health awareness Pinterest board to life. Activities included sound baths, talks about emotions, and even planting your intentions literally with seed paper, soil, and a tiny terracotta pot.
"So much of life isn't exerting false or toxic positivity, but living into the various emotions you feel and learning a little bit," Simon explained.
Several studies have linked longer use of social media with depression, especially in teens, as well as lower self-esteem and social anxiety. But platforms can also be used to find common ground with others. Pinterest searches for emotional awareness are up 22 times compared to last year, and users looking for quotes about mental struggles are up nine times.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in five Americans has been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.
"It's a pandemic beyond anything that we understand," said Mental Health Coalition's chairman and founder Kenneth Cole. "I've also come to believe that it's, in fact, probably the oldest pandemic known to mankind, and at the same time maybe the newest, as it's been exacerbated because of COVID."
The Mental Health Coalition worked with Pinterest Havens to bring awareness to the importance of emotional health. Cole, known for his namesake fashion line, tapped his experience of using marketing to bring awareness to the AIDS crisis of the 1980s.
"The stigma can be overwhelming," he said of AIDS and mental health issues. "It's debilitating. It's potent, it's paralyzing. So how do you make it easy? How do you make it accessible, comfortable?"
He hopes people learn it's okay to open up, especially among groups like men and certain minorities that aren't perceived to be as open about discussing mental health topics.
"This is something that's societally infused, and we need to understand that, learn about it, get comfortable," he said. "This isn't going to change in a day. But I do think this process is at if we make huge strides, I think we're learning that it's okay to be vulnerable."
A rare magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne that was specially produced for the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana has failed to sell during an auction. Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen handled the bidding Thursday. The auction's house website lists the bottle as not sold. It was expected to fetch up to around $93,000. It is one of 12 bottles made to celebrate the royal wedding. Little was revealed about the seller. The auction house says the bids did not receive the desired minimum price.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
