New and Improved: Does a picture really paint 1000 words?
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Does a picture paint a 1000 words is a statement that we hear all the time but is it really true? I think it can paint more than 1000 words as the memories that they hold are stories. Stories like that time you went on a holiday to Europe or about how you got ice-cream all over your top. Pictures can paint more than 1000 words as they can be an aid to help you remember something or a conversation starter. Kathryn A Stofer mentioned in her journal that the phrase “ A picture paints 1000 words”: “Supposes that an image can replace a profusion of words to more easily express complex ideas” (Stofer 2016, pg 231). This isn’t true as a story or a memory isn’t a complex idea.
But in today’s society a picture isn’t about 1000 words it is more about how many likes it can get. This is where the term digital natives could come in. Digital natives refer to people who have grown up around technology like you or I. (Prensky M, 2001). But because we are digital natives, we have become obsessed with how we appear on social media so the phrase “A picture paints 1000 words” should really now be “ Does a picture get 1000 likes?”. So many people in this era are obsessed with getting that perfect selfie or image for their social media. While I will admit that I am guilty of this, we forget to live in the moment and just enjoy it. Sure, get one or two happy snaps to remember the night but don’t centre the whole night about getting that perfect picture so you can get those likes on Instagram, the memories are worth more than a mere 1000 words or likes.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/214629645?accountid=8194
Stofer, K. A. (2016). When a picture isn't worth 1000 words: Learners struggle to find meaning in data visualizations. Journal of Geoscience Education, 64(3), 231-241. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5408/14-053.1














