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."
Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
