Arts + Culture

Activist BY Justin Scheer ILLUSTRATION Floria Tsui DESIGN Miya Lohmeier virtue signaling associated with posting superficial Infographics activist material, aestheticized or not, it is increasingly evident that social media—particularly Instagram—has transformed activism, to some extent, into a conceited exercise, placing greater focus on one’s self. Indeed, this seems like an inevitable outcome of social media, The competing interests of self and the greater good on Instagram whose very design is predicated on a shift of focus to the individual, to the personalization of digital content, and to making the “media” about you. Thus, we arrive at the fundamental tension embedded in social media activism: the self versus the greater good. Social media platforms, especially Instagram, were designed with an emphasis on the former. Consequently, social media activism—by disrupting the stream of self-interested content which Instagram no doubt encourages with apparently selfless, utilitarian posts—is subversive almost by definition. The infographic itself is subtle evidence of this subversion. Instagram’s image-based format does not lend itself easily to text-based content, so simply by featuring text inside the square frame, the infographic works around—not with—the Instagram platform. Nonetheless, thanks to heavily aestheticized graphic design, infographics still manage to preserve and advance one’s image in an apparent reconciliation of self-focus and a selfless concern for social justice. It is precisely when this reconciliation falls short— when an activist post fails to hide the user’s selfish interest in maintaining their image and aesthetic online—that self-centeredness is glaringly obvious and worthy of public censure. As it turns out, infographics walk this line well; they effectively disguise the narcissism laden in their activist content but still manage to advance—albeit subliminally—one’s self interest in image and aesthetic. Perhaps this is why we rarely see infographics or the people who post them being ‘cancelled’. It is important to recognize that the collective shift of focus inward toward self—though in some sense undermining the fundamental sentiment beneath social justice activism—is an unavoidable reality of many of our lives as they become increasingly dependent on and intertwined with social media, especially in the absence of in-person socialization. So, while the commentary above may read as a cynical critique, infographics may be better understood as a response to, not a manifestation of, narcissism. As long as concern with self-image prevails—as long as we use social media, and Instagram in particular—aestheticized Activism has never been more convenient than it is color schemes, congruent with what I can best describe infographics respond to the call for selfless action in a now. I can turn on my phone, open Instagram, and a as a soft vintage aesthetic. For example, the @soyou- manner compatible with Instagram users’ underlying brief scroll reveals a whole slew of cute, eye-catching wanttotalkabout’s post on prison labor utilizes a 70’s vanity. infographics on a number of salient social-political psychedelic style font on a gentle beige background. Though this Indy writer may admittedly be overmovements. I tap two buttons and I’ve published an These posts tackle incredibly heavy and salient issues, estimating such vanity, few would object to the obserargument or opinion, neatly packaged with decorative which makes their choice of graphic design feel mildly vation that social media has made its users more font, hip graphic design, and sometimes even floral inappropriate. I do not necessarily take issue with this— conceited to some degree. Moreover, despite the patterns inside a square frame. No longer is there a after all, appealing design may, through some subcon- apparent conflict between self-interest and concern need to read nuanced reporting in order to construct scious effect on users, produce greater proliferation for a greater cause, the two are not entirely mutually one’s own perspective. The Instagram infographic of the post and the information it contains, even if it exclusive: we can care about more than one thing at a gives me the essential argument in a few sentences or appears to trivialize the issue at hand. time. I don’t doubt that many of those who repost infoless, perhaps (though not necessarily) substantiated Another good example is the account @thinking- graphics, notwithstanding any personal motivation by some statistic on the next slide of the post which, abolition, a prison and police abolition advocacy page. regarding image, do so with a genuine concern for an though convincing on its face, often paints a reductive They employ different brands of graphic design in their issue. picture of the issue at hand. The infographic does all posts, ranging from cute, floral design – like that in the I wish to conclude with one final, cautious note: a the work; it makes the argument for me and is a proxy post titled “Abolition is Creative,” which features an potential consequence of Instagram users’ proclivity for my opinion. As far as my followers are concerned, illustration of a police car overgrown with flowers – to for infographics is that, in order for an opinion or arguit is my whole opinion, and I hardly had to put in any modern, minimalist design – like in the post titled “Is ment to gain traction in the Instagram landscape, it had effort to make it known. Infographics, therefore, make Police Abolition Possible?” better be delivered with the right graphic design. In this participation in social media discourse incredibly easy, Some infographic posts employ the tropes of juve- sense, the marketplace of ideas has become less demothough arguably at the expense of some degree of nile artistic style, like the scribbles and messy hand- cratic because the design-and-illustration-savvy user, logical and personal integrity. writing in @uniquelyaligned’s slider post on supporting or individuals who utilize the work of these designers,

Perhaps the greatest (and weirdest) advantage, emerging creators. Others use collages to impart a DIY have an inherent advantage; no idea or argument on if we can call it that, is that declaring one’s stance on appearance for those so inclined to that aesthetic, like Instagram can rise to any prominence on its own merit the issues via infographic reposts can actually main- @morecolormedia’s slider post titled “Decolonize alone. Thus, some amount of control of online political tain and advance one’s meticulously curated timeline Your Mind.” discourse has been ceded to the graphic designers and aesthetics. “Aesthetics” can be thought of as the visual Many of the infographics reposted and many of those with the resources to pay for good graphic design. repertoire established through one’s posts: the types of those that go ‘viral’ often feature pastel color palettes, This presents the age-old problem of activist dialogue photos they post, the colors used most frequently, the minimalist/modernist graphics, or other heavily styl- being skewed toward ideas favored by those with kind of clothes they wear in their pictures, the filters ized designs. Thus, the self-conscious Instagram greater resources and capital. A less visually-oriented they use, etc. user highly concerned with appearance—which I social media platform, then, may be better suited for

Consider an Instagram account famous for making would guess is most of us— is able to engage in digital substantive dialogue on the pressing issues of our time. these types of infographics: @soyouwanttotalkabout, a activism without compromising or disrupting their In a more text-based forum of exchange, perhaps the page dedicated to “dissecting progressive politics and profile’s aesthetic, simply by finding a post with the infographic phenomenon and its strange implications social issues in graphic slideshow form!”, according to right design. In this sense, we see that activism has would disappear. the account’s biography. The account’s posts read like become, in part, a narcissistic practice when taken PowerPoint presentations with fun typeface and pastel to social media. Considering similar critiques of the JUSTIN SCHEER B’22.5 might follow you back.