Does a picture really paint 1000 words?
“A picture paints a 1000 words” is something that we have all heard, but is it really true? Personally, I think a picture is can be worth much more than a mere 1000 words. Pictures are there to replace the words, they hold memories of that holiday to Europe or that time you went out for drinks with mates. 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). Her statement suggests that the image is meant to hold complex ideas, I disagree. When you look at a photo you can normally tell what is it straight away especially if you have taken it yourself. Nowadays it is easier to take good quality photos without the need for a “professional camera” many people have smartphones that do it for them.
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