Background of “Pinned” Images: Lifestyle Advertising in Social Media

Abstract

The presence of a hidden enforcement is a matter in social media networks, whose contents are made attractive by rich images illustrating the rearrangement of the living spaces belonging to the followers of these networks. Every detail of private life including personal appearance, spaces where time is spent with friends, food is consumed, coffee is drunk, and houses are decorated, is presented through charming images. Inspired by these images, people have started to make their preferences regarding what mobile phone to use, what sports to practice, or what films to watch. The content of social media has begun to draw attention to “lifestyle advertising” and has provided a convenient ground for the advertising industry. Pinterest is a network where images reflecting modern people’s daily habits, including consumption, are pinned in order to serve as sources of inspiration. In this study, the perfect living spaces which have been fictionalised as models in the images shared on Pinterest will be investigated in terms of “lifestyle advertising” and in comparison to real life. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.