We won’t make any grand assumptions about what men like or what women like.
We’ll leave that up to au John Gray whose book we ripped off this headline for.
But our What Gen Z Actually Do Online report might have some clues. The findings from our research into young Aussies media habits have revealed that between the social media giants Pinterest and Reddit have the largest gender differences in their usage by Gen Zs.
Reddit is two and a half times more popular with males than females (26% vs 10% who use it regularly). And incredibly, Pinterest is nine times (9x!) more popular with females than with males (44% vs 5% who use it regularly). It’s safe to say you’re less likely to find a guy on Pinterest than just about anywhere else on the internet.
So what is it about each of these platforms that largely appeal to one or the other?
As a starting point, it is useful to compare how these platforms are used and why they’re loved by their communities.
Reddit vs Pinterest – User Interface
Reddit is organised into subreddits, which are like forums or topics on other online message boards. The design feels like stepping back into the early 2000s, but hey, it’s functional.
On the other hand, Pinterest isn’t exactly where people go for deep-dive conversations. Its opening page is a masonry layout of bright, beautiful images of food, home decor and fashion portraits.
Reddit vs Pinterest – The Content
They say Reddit is whatever you make of it – people come here for world news or the most niche interests you could imagine. Top subreddits include gaming, music, books, history, space, food, funny content, the list is neverending. Users find like-minded, nerdy people and those ready to argue with them, and can learn about almost every field. You get a kick out of hearing others’ and voicing your opinions.
There’s less reading, more ‘looking’ on Pinterest. You ‘pin’ images from the internet or through Pinterest itself, and organise them into ‘boards’, from birthday ideas to travel bucket lists and a healthy sprinkle of uplifting and cheesy quotes in stylised text. Kind of like a scrap-book, mood board, or visual magazine, with the ability to share stuff and collaborate with friends. You get a kick out of gathering and curating a vision.
Reddit vs Pinterest – The Darker Sides
Reddit is also known for being filled with trolls, creeps and misogynists. But that’s not stopping people from coming back for the good vibes, from encouraging words towards strangers to free legal advice and other random acts of kindness. At its brightest, Reddit is a supportive community.
Some say Pinterest has been infested with marketing content and shopping ads. But as you can see, the internet can be one hostile place, and Pinterest just isn’t built for harassment or bullying. Call it a ‘safe space’, if you will, for finding and organising visual ideas with others.
Reddit vs Pinterest – For All
Each platform clearly speaks to one gender more than the other, for whatever complex reasons that may be. But ultimately, looking at the brighter sides of both, each platform has something great to offer for everyone.
