Infographics are a vital part of social media and it’s a common stop for people to learn and share about various types of information. Whether that’s through Instagram or TikTok, infographics have become an important tool of online activism. During the protests after the death of George Floyd, this form of activism played a crucial role for organizers and activists. Nevertheless, when black screens with #BlackOutTuesday captions took over millions of users’ Instagram accounts, many activists questioned the role of social media activism. The question that lingered in the minds of many was the impact of infographics on social justice advocacy when it comes to fighting systemic issues like police brutality.
Infographics condense complex topics into easily digestible forms for many different audiences. Instagram carousel posts accomplish this by using a visually pleasing design with informative slides. In these carousel posts, infographic accounts use eye-catching fonts and colors in up to ten images. The posts all have uniformity with one another to beat Instagram’s algorithm. The information presented in this form makes activism accessible and it can guide people to more resources. They act as an entry to social justice activism where people can get familiar with many topics they are not familiar with.
Nevertheless, this social engagement doesn’t reflect the structures of grassroots activism. Posting an infographic on a platform is usually the only step one takes to advocate for an issue rather than doing further research. Infographics are treated as knowledge to be consumed rather than knowledge to enlighten oneself. The overload of information posted on social media platforms leads individuals to feel burnt out, which results in none of the information being retained. As a result, posting infographics as a form of advocacy is associated with performative activism. This framework leads individuals to feel responsible to consume every piece of information while being unable to take their activism to the next level.
Another downside to infographics is the way they oversimplify complex topics with intricate and interconnected histories. This can lead to the generalization of important topics even though infographics aren’t made with malicious intent. By doing this, accounts dedicated to educating people on social justice issues steal credit from the authors and scholars who are experts on the topic.
Infographics are also a big source of misinformation, where people aren’t likely to fact-check the presented information and accept it as it is. Social media’s impact is enormous, where false information is likely to spread faster and wider than true information. As today’s generation depends more and more on social media as a news source, this directs masses of people in the wrong direction.
Although infographics do have the benefit of exposing one to many sorts of new knowledge, activists and scholars urge people to invest more in social advocacy through attending protests, letter-writing and donating to mutual-aid organizations. Sharing an infographic on social media could be the first step one takes to demonstrate support for a cause; however, it shouldn’t be the last stop.