Rule Of Thumb: The Shift In Instagram As A News Source

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Instagram use has shifted from being a place solely for sharing lifestyle content to a source for current events and activism. Since the summer of 2020, there has been an influx of young adults using Instagram to voice their opinions and educate themselves on the world's current issues. 

Research conducted at the end of March 2020 explored how people access news and information regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Data demonstrated that in the U.S., 26% of the 18- to 24-year-olds surveyed used Instagram in the last week for coronavirus-related news. During this time, people are also using Instagram as a source to learn more regarding the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM), such as organizations to donate to or black-owned businesses to support. 

Why did Instagram, the platform for vacation photos and memes, become a news source for younger generations?

Past studies have demonstrated that young people over time have relied less on traditional news outlets due to changes in what they want out of the news they take in. Younger generations are driven by progress and enjoyment in their lives which has resulted in traditional news media has become less relevant as a source to turn to. Young audiences seek out what you should know and what is useful, interesting, and fun to know. 

A 2019 poll suggests that only 41% of Americans still trust traditional media to report the news "fully, accurately, and fairly." The Covid-19 crisis, the eruption of the BLM movement, and discussion of police actions increased everyone's desire for instant information. Mistrust for mainstream news outlets led young people to turn to Instagram for live updates on stay-at-home orders and protests happening across cities. 

However, social media allows us to pick and choose who's content we view. Typically we follow others who have similar views to us. This creates an echo chamber in which our opinions and biases are reinforced by what we consider on the platform. While an individual may follow a wide variety of accounts, Instagram's algorithm tends to display the most relevant posts to the user at the top of the news feed. Prioritized posts are ranked based on the relationship with the user, interest the user has conveyed, and the post's relevancy. 

Instagram also gives anyone the ability to be a reporter leading to the more significant concern of the need for fact-checking. Individuals are not just to blame for misinformation on Instagram. The platform's algorithm "recommended false claims about COVID-19, vaccines and the 2020 U.S. election to people who appeared interested in related topics," according to research conducted by the Center for Countering Digital Hate which tracks online misinformation. Those consuming misinformation remain in a vacuum of sources that reinforce the ideas. This perpetuates the divide between those who formulate drastically different views on a topic due to the sources they are receiving facts from. 

Yet, the shift calls to attention the importance of visuals in social movements. Visualizing information is crucial to depicting an authentic narrative for people to follow, and Instagram's platform is perfect for that. For this reason, the platform has propelled the Black Lives Matter and protest movement.

Gary Chambers Jr., a racial justice activist in Louisiana, chose to share his speech in support of changing the name of a high school named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee. The video went viral, gaining over 1.8 million views. Chambers following increased from 26,000 to 200,000. He attributed the views and followers to the public's need for "visual messages on social justice issues after the death of George Floyd."   

Instagram is being used as a tool to educate people about social justice issues such as police reform and anti-racism. The flexible platform caters to a young audience that is responsive and active when it comes to these topics. 

In particular, Instagram stories and posts are formatted in bold, colorful typefaces that directly give facts. Instagram slideshows are meant to be eye-catching to grab the user's attention enough to swipe through the ten images and keep reading the information. Notoriously challenging to build up engagement, infographics in the form of slideshows are beating Instagram's algorithm that fights against popularizing social justice posts. 

Content creators, such as Jess behind the account @soyouwanttotalkabout, utilize the platform by posting activist content catered to millennials' aesthetic. Jess's account reached a million followers in one month by posting aesthetically attractive, educational slideshows. Her pastel-colored posts with title slides such as "Police Brutality in the U.S." and "Understanding Racial Stress & Trauma" receive thousands of likes and shares. 

While these posts are easily digestible, introduce our society's concerns, and start meaningful conversations, is it appropriate to aestheticize human rights-related issues?

There is the potential for these viral infographics to "oversimplify complex ideas in harmful or misleading ways or flat-out misstate facts." The posts will often include information or research originating from scholars or other activists that goes uncredited. Instead, these posts should be the beginning of understanding these topics and initiate further reading. And while these posts are eye-catching, how effective are they at contributing to activism?

For the most part, these posts contribute to the awareness and engagement in social justice issues. For instance, the National Sexual Assault Hotline, operated by Rainn, has seen a 30% increase in calls just months after the surge of the #MeToo movement. Similarly, the Times Up movement, which focuses on creating change and equity in the workplace for women, raised nearly $25 million in donations when Hollywood celebrities took to social media to promote the movement.

However, with the publicity of these movements comes increased scrutiny and manipulation. In the past social media, influencers have promoted causes to increase attention to their brands, such as what happened during the California wildfires. Instagram influencers have posted unrelated photos, including hashtags such as #californiafires, #woolseyfire, and #malibufires in the caption.    

Instagram will now and continuously play a part in how we promote social issues in our society. The user-friendly platform gives young individuals the space to support topics that are of concern to them. Instagram has become an educational tool filled with resources to educate ourselves with. But most importantly, it should be kept in mind that every post we scroll past should be followed up with further personal research.