New Year’s resolutions: a tradition for thousands of years, yet for most, including students at Bergen County Academies (BCA), too difficult to stick with. Even just after January, many find themselves losing the motivation to exercise, eat healthier, get more sleep, find a new hobby, and save money, among numerous other seemingly unattainable New Year’s goals. If only there was a way to be reminded of these resolutions, with visual depictions to see just what your life is missing…
Meet Pinterest, a social media outlet for sharing and collecting motivational and aesthetically pleasing photos of recipes, clothing, art, cosmetics, quotes, and room decor. According to science, it might just be the key to New Year’s success. BCA students were surveyed to discover their thoughts on the uses of Pinterest for New Year’s goals.
An overwhelming majority of respondents, 91.7%,answered that they use Pinterest, primarily for style inspiration, though 52.3% use it for motivational purposes. BCA students also engage with a variety of other content on Pinterest, including home decor inspiration, recipes, and art references.
However, only 37.5% of surveyed students responded that they are using Pinterest this year to organize their New Year’s goals. Sofia, a sophomore in the visual academy and viewer of motivational Pinterest content, offered her insight into the app’s benefits.
“Organizing your resolutions on Pinterest can be helpful because seeing a bunch of pictures makes it feel like my goals are more real and possible than a broad and unclear vision. I save quotes that could help me maintain a good mindset and I save art and activities so I feel inspired to make or bake something every once in a while.”
Neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart explained that viewing pictures of goals compels the brain to seek out opportunities, familiarizing it with new experiences that would typically incite fear. Having this visual representation is more effective than reading written words because of “value-tagging,” a process in the brain that records important information in the subconscious mind. Images have a higher value, thus they “stick” more, especially when viewed often.
“One thing I did like about making a Pinterest board is I could take those images and use them in other things, such as on a phone or laptop wallpaper,” said Mia, a sophomore in the computer science academy. “That would constantly remind me of my goals, and I do think it helps.”
Surveyed BCA students also supported this research, with 97% that do use Pinterest answering that it is completely or relatively helpful in motivating them to achieve their goals.
Another form of content that has been gaining popularity recently is study motivation, where users post pictures of their notes, desk setups, or grades onto Pinterest. A popular new year’s goal and staple of BCA life, getting good grades is at the top of many BCA students’ minds. Respondents were asked whether they looked at such images, with 52.3% answering yes. Marge, a sophomore in the science academy, shared her reasons for doing so.
“I enjoy looking at Pinterest for study motivation because it gives me ideas on how to organize my workspace and it also gives me ideas on what methods I can use to study.”
Mia also explained the importance of this content to her habits: “I think being able to ‘romanticize school’ and make it seem like you’re doing something more fun than you actually are keeps me motivated to keep studying.”
Pinterest has endless images to beautify and inspire any part of life, clearly resonating with many BCA students. With scientific research to back it up, Pinterest might just be the solution to failing New Year’s resolutions. So, the next time you’re looking to set goals for yourself, scrap the list, and turn to Pinterest.