i wrote about the aesthetics of the social justice slideshows that’s taken over instagram https://www.vox.com/the-goods/21359098/social-justice-slideshows-instagram-activism

huge thanks to @_EricHu (who created various viral defund NYPD graphics) for his incredibly valuable insights on the IG algorithm privileging certain design elements! https://www.vox.com/the-goods/21359098/social-justice-slideshows-instagram-activism

as quirky/eye-catching as these designs are (they're intended to catch ppl's attention on IG), the font + design choices are actually... very corporate? check out the typeface for buffy (a DTC bedding company) and this popular performative allyship post https://www.vox.com/the-goods/21359098/social-justice-slideshows-instagram-activism

the packaging of these revolutionary/activism aesthetics is something creators have discussed: should activist art necessarily be "ugly" and un-corporatized? but if so, these images might not be favored by ig's algorithm or visually pleasing to attract ppl https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWNYhJjk8g/ 

since late may/june, people on ig have gotten more political. but brands are too. some are commissioning their own social justice graphics from independent creators. take a look at @CHNGE (fashion brand); their page literally emulates that of a progressive advocacy org

then, there's the proliferation of ppl using Canva templates to make informational graphics. with the popularity of these designs, they're perceived to carry a sense of of legitimacy when in reality... it's just a template! https://www.vox.com/the-goods/21359098/social-justice-slideshows-instagram-activism

. @eveewing made this fantastic IG post (from a @canva template!!) that highlights how ppl should be consuming content (even well-intentioned, progressive content) critically. are these posts fact-checked & sourced? who's making them? https://www.vox.com/the-goods/21359098/social-justice-slideshows-instagram-activism

and so we move forth to... the misinformation potential of these graphics! while many have been useful (for info on protests and "how to help"), the popularity of this material is similar to what FB experienced circa 2016, @MarkStenberg3 writes https://medialyte.substack.com/p/the-facebook-ification-of-instagram

tldr; posting is not a sufficient form of activism! while it is a way of signaling important info — and i'm sure plenty of ppl are now hungry for this type of content — how useful is it to yourself and your audience? or is it just performative? https://www.vox.com/the-goods/21359098/social-justice-slideshows-instagram-activism