Essay On Importance Of Photography
Getting up in the morning we scroll through social media images and news articles. Images and words are an important part of everyday life. When we arrive at school, posters line the walls with images and words. Some might wonder whether images or words are more effective. Images are more engaging and powerful. Invoking feelings in us, images grow more effective for marketing and ads everyday. Images are a key part of helping students understand more complex ideas. Visuals help people understand complex ideas because the powerful and engaging picture helps learners comprehend ideas. The image is a more simple and appealing way to gain information.
Visuals are more influential than words because they have an impact and change emotions in people. Images highlight complex themes like war, peace, destruction, and more. These themes are better understood when simplified into images. From the image below on the right, we can observe a man during a peace protest who puts his flowers into the tip of the gun. The guards around him stand still on defense. The protester is near many men in dark outfits but still has the bravery to come so close to a weapon of destruction. This image provokes the feelings of surprise and worry as the soldiers stand in unison against the protestors. Then you feel empathy for the protestor considering he is standing up for what he believes in even when it threatens his own life. The image helps viewers understand the symbolic complex ideas of peace and violence. Another example of a powerful engaging photo is on the bottom left, where a soldier returning from war grips her daughter in a tight hug. Tears stream down her face. Right when you view this image, you feel empathy for the mother who has so deeply missed her daughter. The picture reveals the message of happiness because when we can visually recognize other humans it is easier for us to empathize and connect. This impacts the viewer by helping them understand the complex ideas of being apart from your family, and the joy of when they arrive home. The images convey emotion that some words would not be able to capture and as a result they act as a powerful tool for comprehension.
Images support learners in understanding complex ideas effectively since they are more engaging than words. For me personally, when I am learning in a classroom setting, I find images way more captivating than words. I would rather watch a video that explains a concept in less time than hear my teacher talk for 30 minutes because visuals help understand complex ideas better. Images become more convenient when simplifying large ideas. My history teacher always uses videos to showcase current events like the war in Ukraine. The videos help in understanding complex ideas better because they show people dealing with war, death, and the bombing of their country. I feel empathy, anger, and sadness seeing these images of devastated Ukraine and murdered people on the street. Most students would agree that visuals are better for learning considering images prove to be better comprehension in the larger majority of students. For example, “Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer wrote in their book, E-Learning and the Science of Instruction, accompanying text-based instructions with a graphic improved students’ performance on a test by a median amount of 89%” (McCoy). Words accompanied by images remain more likely to help students do well on tests, due to images making complicated topics and problems easier to understand. Students are more likely to comprehend complex ideas with images and words.
Of course some may disagree on the grounds that text has many details which helps students understand concepts. However, what they need to consider is that visuals are more appealing to the brain because the brain can recognize shape, color, texture, size, and depth which helps us understand complex ideas better. According to research compiled by 3M, “the corporation behind Post-it Notes, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text” (McCoy). The visual system in the brain is able to make connections fast which helps us understand complex ideas better more effectively. Another study of the brain and visual learners states, “Since 65% of people are visual learners according to the Social Science Research Network, one of the best ways to drive the message home is through visual content” (Gillett). Images are more effective when learning complex ideas on the grounds that they are an excellent learning tool paired with words. Graphs, charts, and graphic novels can be easier to comprehend than just words alone.
Images help us grasp ideas by being influential and producing strong emotions. When we see an image the brain makes fast connections with shape, color, size, etc, which helps us understand more complex ideas. Themes like war and peace can be comprehended better through images because we can form connections and empathize with the people in photos. Visuals are a more engaging and helpful method for students on tests when accompanied with words. The majority of people are visual learners which shapes a growing society. Everyday as we walk through life images remain all around us, on our phones, hanging on walls, and in news videos. When we were babies we comprehended images in picture books before we even learnt how to read. Therefore, images continue to be far more essential in understanding complex ideas and gaining information in today's society. Images have an enormous impact on the world around us.
