By Julianne Park
Big bolded words. Vivid colors. Catchy phrases. What better than a simple yet eye-catching infographic to hook the reader, or social media user, to the idea you are trying to convey?
Recently, infographics have grown drastically to become one of the most widespread and popular tools on the internet, especially on social media. Visually appealing posts, often accompanied by data or striking statements, are a medium of storytelling that help users reach their target audience faster. Around 56% of queried businesses said to have used infographics and found them effective (Conner, 2017). Marketing strategies have increasingly employed infographics because of the human brain’s ability to absorb more information through visuals.
So, where does the climate movement fit into this? Grassroots activists and global leaders are employing this tool to promote awareness or demand action for social justice movements, environmental activism, and climate justice. Leonardo DiCaprio, an actor and environmentalist, flooded his feed with infographics announcing that “a new study calculates we will need 5x more people to manage the world’s protected and conserved areas.” Al Gore, former Vice President and Nobel Prize Laureate, amassed thousands of likes on his posts with the words, “As of today, at least 35 locations around the world have set all-time heat records in 2018.” Even lesser-known environmentalists dedicate their pages to posts about conserving water and visuals to explain why we need to reduce our emissions. Without a doubt, infographics can garner people’s attention and mobilize them for action.
In our interview with Kristy Drutman, Drutman claimed that “Unfortunately [there is a] limitation when it comes to social media: you can’t dive that much into the nuance as much as you’d want to.”
The inability to address nuance can lead to the spread of misinformation and even denial. Eve L. Ewing, a professor and writer, posted on Instagram, reminding users to be “conscious consumers” and to be aware that infographics often “grossly oversimplify complex ideas in harmful or misleading ways, or flat-out misstate facts” (Ewing, 2020.) Infographics can also be a source of greenwashing; companies like Coca-Cola claim on their page with infographics that they are reducing their carbon footprint and their virgin plastic. Or even more infamously is Chevron’s feed: a collection of infographics promoting their advancements in energy transition strategies and how they are reducing methane, despite being one of the largest carbon emitters since 1965 (Taylor & Watts).
The advantages of infographics can just as easily be the downfalls. Infographics are liked, commented on, reposted, and shared with thousands of people at the click of a button. And, while this is ideal, we cannot forget that this also means misinformation can spread quickly too. As Drutman puts it “you can [use infographics] to create the conversation which is great, but you’re limited compared to having in person conversations, reading academic reports, or attending seminars and conferences. That is the limit of the work that I do. And it frustrates me all the time. But at the same time, I view it as a gateway that can serve something bigger.”
Unfortunately, removing all the infographics with misinformation and misleading statements is not feasible or even worthwhile. What we can do is become conscious of what we see on the internet and think rationally. Think of infographics as a springboard into research. Next time you see a strikingly bolded statistic on someone’s story and you are alarmed, do not stop there. Visit credible organization websites or sources and discover the truth for yourself.
Citations:
Taylor, M., & Watts, J. (2019, October 9). Revealed: the 20 firms behind a third of all
carbon emissions. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/09/revealed-20-firms-third-carbon-emissions
Gaillot, A. (2021, November 15). Infographics Have Taken Over the Climate
Movement. Are They Helping? Them. https://www.them.us/story/instagram-infographics-have-taken-over-the-climate-movement
Conner, C. (2017, October 19). The Data Is In: Infographics Are Growing And Thriving
In 2017 (And Beyond). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2017/10/19/the-data-is-in-infographics-are-growing-and-thriving-in-2017-and-beyond/?sh=42c06fa2137c
About Author
