you are tired
and you don't know why
2020 has been an incredibly hard year, and anyone who hasn't been living under a rock has been exposed to a seemingly-endless stream of "once in a lifetime" crises. The stress is monumental. At the same time, global internet culture has evolved in such a way that has given individuals the impression that we each have the power and responsibility to make a difference. Coupled, these aspects have made it exhausting to simply be aware of the state of the world.
Exhausted people can't help. Exhausted people can't take on extra responsibility. And, as much as we hate to acknowledge it, the fact of the matter is that individuals do not have very much power and should not be expected to singlehandedly make a difference in every single crisis.
Despite my awareness of it, I am also susceptible to that sense of responsibility and pressure.
Instagram has become a hub for sharing information on each crisis and sharing concrete ways that individuals can help, which solidifies the impression that we all must help. My version of making a difference has been to join the effort to share information with my strongest skill: UX design. However, hundreds, maybe thousands, of Infograms (which is what I'm calling these more-than-infographics) have been created to share information on each crisis, so I've focused on the aspects that I haven't seen discourse on. To me, exhaustion and activism burnout is one of the most important.
The original post was shared hundreds of times and accrued over 1500 likes. Not everyone truly resonated with the message, but the heartfelt comments from those who did made everything worth it.
