I used to think that Facebook was my most serious online addiction. That was till this week, when I discovered Pinterest.

The online virtual scrapbook innocently describes itself as “a tool for collecting and organizing the things that inspire you.”

I prefer the description offered by my Pinterest-possessed daughter-in-law: “It’s like flipping through magazines on crack.”

The way it works is deceptively simple. I signed up for a free account, which let me set up special interest “boards” such as books worth reading, favorite recipes, favorite spaces and places, products I love, craft ideas, and (once I figure it out) my personal style.

Then it invited me to virtually “pin” things I liked from other people’s boards onto my own board. Also, if I spotted something I loved on a web page, and it had a little red Pinterest symbol, I could pin that to my board. And there I’d be – with my own little online space to store, as Julie Andrews might say, a few of my favorite things.

But for me Pinterest is not as simple as raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens (although there are actually Pinterest boards with those names). I can’t seem to stick to the 14.2 minutes that marketing firms say is the average time spent on a visit.

First, there’s the magazines-on-crack syndrome. Exactly how many boards and sites do I need to visit to spot that favorite space and place I want to tell the world is so appealing to me? Apparently a lot. First search: 45 minutes.

And then the ethics piece. Does my favorite recipe need to be something I tested? I’m inclined to say yes, which adds a whole 45 minutes to the process, not counting some trip to the store for dried mangoes. If I post a picture of a T-shirt cut horizontally across the back and tied up with bows, to be worn over another T-shirt, do I need to actually do this?

And then the Facebook complication. With a nervous cringe and a click “yes,” I connected my Pinterest account to my Facebook account, which gave me obsessive access to all the favorite things of my FB friends. Now I know that my cousin likes (or wants to try?) Orange Blueberry Banana Spinach smoothies. And several high school friends have a passion for Jalapeno Pepper Grilled Cheese sandwiches, recipe included. I am not prepared to say how far beyond the 14.2 minutes this session took.

This is not to say that my Pinterest time is not well-spent. The Pinterest enthusiast with whom I share two grandchildren has posted articles on dealing with temper tantrums and babies sleeping through the night. Not that either of us would ever need to read these. And now I know what my daughter-in-law considers a fantastic outfit that matches her style. Certainly helpful for shopping.

No less important, I now know that there are downloadable Downton Abbey Bingo cards, where you can cover a square every time someone smokes a cigar or mentions status or class. I know how to put a glow stick in a balloon (before I blow it up – duh) for a pool party. And I can make a set of edible false teeth out of apples, mini- marshmallows, and peanut butter. I’m just not sure when to serve them.

I’ve also printed out a Pinterest-discovered sign that says: “Being a good writer is 3% talent and 97% not being distracted by the Internet.”

Of course, all the surfing for this piece was research.

Copyright 2013 Pat Snyder