Pinterest is the new “it” thing to have, or, well, be apart of, especially if you’re a regular Internet user. As Mike points out, while the idea may not be necessarily new, the desire to be included as a member is real. People are practically tripping over themselves to get a Pinterest invite, or at least to be a Pinterest authority.

The invitation-only setting that Pinterest currently features no doubt drives the desire to join the collective. There’s something to be said about seeing a bunch of your Facebook friends posting about their latest Pinterest pin, and you’re on the outside, looking in. With that in mind, the Joy of Tech webcomic offers perhaps one of the more honest looks at the image-friendly social media platform, giving us a good idea of what could be the main idea that drives the level of interest in Pinterest (sorry, it had to be done):

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While The Joy of Tech is clearly making fun of the “I have to join what’s new, especially if it’s invite-only” trend, something that even gave Google+ its initial boost, do they have a point? The desire to be apart of the popular or hard-to-get trends also crosses over to the real world, especially when look at all the ridiculousness surrounding Nike’s Galaxy Foamposites.

So what gives? Do people want to be on Pinterest because of the capabilities it offers or because it’s what all the cool kids are doing? Let us know what you think.

Lead image courtesy.