Another social media website has joined the unblocked list: Pinterest.

This website has captivated the minds of many students, and was recently unblocked on USD 497 district computers.

This pinboard-style website allows users to share and organize images from projects, events, clothing, tutorials and recipes.

Websites, like Tumblr, remain blocked because they allow photos and text posts that are offensive and racy. When Pinterest policies changed to prohibit users from posting inappropriate content, the district lifted the block.

“Pinterest was originally blocked in our district because they allowed explicit content that is not appropriate for schools,” Jerri Kemble, assistant superintendent of technology, said. “Recently, Pinterest established policies that protected the public from this explicit content…We saw no legal responsibility to further block it.”

Pinterest user sophomore Leslie Grey agrees with the decision. She’s used Pinterest for a couple years. She often pins clothing, cooking recipes and crafts. Inappropriate photos, she said, aren’t a concern.

“I’ve had it for a long time and haven’t found anything — maybe a racy photo or something,” Grey said.

This website is known to inspire others. Teachers across the nation use Pinterest to share learning ideas. It’s now used as a professional learning network.

Photography teacher Angelia Perkins uses ideas she finds for classroom projects.

“I really started out on Pinterest because there’s a lot of lesson ideas,” Perkins said. “When I was first working with encaustic wax, I couldn’t find a lot of contemporary work. It’s so new in terms of the contemporary artists, that there wasn’t anything on any other sites. So I like Pinterest. It has what’s going on currently.”

Perkins typically browses through Pinterest every evening, creating different boards for her photography portfolio class.

Pinterest is also for personal use. You can find something new each time. For some, it can be addicting.

“I go on every day to every other day,” freshman Susan Frick said.

Susan Frick created a board to plan her dream wedding. She has pinned pictures of color schemes, dresses and small details, such as table toppers.

“I like that I can look at dresses and venues,” Frick said. “It helps me know what I want for the future.”