In modern society, with the advent of advanced telecommunication and photographic technologies, visual expression in mediums such as television, photography and films are increasingly becoming popular as powerful means of expression when compared to the simple mundane printed medium. (Austin, 1991)
The increasing preference and use of visual resources over written communication is an undeniable fact and the growing utilization of video based learning in modern schools over text book based knowledge transfer is the best possible example. In the present evidence-seeking world, visual communication is a powerful tool as it provides recognizable facts. Meticulously crafted images, like political cartoons and television documentaries readily deliver the concerned messages to the onlookers and are mostly beneficial in conveying thoughts to the busy and uneducated sections of the society. The television is also being bombarded with numerous catchy advertisements, by which manufacturers try to communicate with the masses regarding their products. (Austin, 1991)
On the other hand, the appeal of the printed media as means of mass communication, is declining as the younger generation considers it to be relatively old fashioned and boring. Moreover, in the fast paced modern city life, less number of people can afford to dedicate time for reading the daily morning newsprints, instead, most of the city dwellers follow daily-televised news. Despite this decreased appeal for mass communication, value of the written form still stands tall in the field of interpersonal and formal communication. Written words, as a form of official documentation, can never be superseded by any other means. Thus, visual communication is definitely a popular, powerful and better tool for mass communication but written form of expression still has equal importance for official, formal and interpersonal purposes. (Austin, 1991)
A picture is worth a thousand words is a popular maxim that is being used for a very long time. This strongly depicts the power of images in conveying messages, ideas, or opinions to people. Nevertheless, the importance of written word can never be denied as it is also another way of communication that is commonly used. Hence, I agree only to certain degree that in today's world, image serves as a more effective means of communication. (Geenesh, 2011)
Firstly, pictures can influence the way people think. For example, nowadays horrendous images are displayed on the cigarette boxes to illustrate the consequences of smoking. As a result, statistics show a slight reduction in the number of smokers, indicating that they realize the effects of the negative habit. Not only that, the magnificent photograph captured by Kevin Carter, which portrayed a starving Sudanese child struck by extreme poverty has successfully highlighted the plight faced by the citizens in Sudan. Apart from that, images are also widely used in newspapers, magazines and advertisements. Thus, it is undeniable that images in the absence of words can obviously claim the attraction of many. (Geenesh, 2011)
Looking from another perspective, written words are also vital in order to spread across certain messages. With only pictures, everyone is left to their own interpretation on how they perceive the images. Nonetheless, this is different when words are used to explain what the illustration is about. Furthermore, the primary way of educating students is also by this way. Academic textbooks these days are laden with words besides pictures to guide the readers to comprehend better. (Geenesh, 2011)
The use of film and images in communication continues to grow. There are a number of reasons why the use of visual aids such as images/film. Firstly film/images saves time by relaying messages faster. We can get the sense of a visual scene in less than 1/10 of a second–that’s even faster than reading a sentence. Stats have shown that visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text. Images and Films convey a richer experience than text-heavy content alone. In a media landscape filled with clutter, readers’ attention is hard to acquire, and even harder to retain. As a result, readers often prefer to scan content rather than read word for word. (Boatman, 2009)
Film/Images ensure that a clear, unified message is delivered. Visual communication helps to provide a shared, consistent experience. Logos, colors, font, graphics, icons, and imagery, paired voice and tone that makes a brand recognizable. Effective branding activity of using consistent visual communication is a great way to take advantage of your brand’s equity when launching to a new market. Film/Images result in better retention of the information. From a scientific perspective, it’s been found that using visuals help the audience remember the information more effectively. The reason is that images are directly deposited and stored into the long-term memory, whereas words only make it to the short-term memory. An article about active learning found that after 2 weeks, only 10-20% of text (or spoken word) is recalled, compared with visual information, where 50% of the content was remembered. An important part of delivering a consistent experience with visuals is branding. In addition to a logo, many organizations have defined brand colors that should be used in all marketing activity. (Boatman, 2009)
To conclude, both images and films go hand in hand and one cannot wholly emphasize on only one aspect, either images or words. Hence, for a more meaningful communication, these two elements should be more emphasized. (Boatman, 2009)
Works Cited
Bruce A. Austin. Movies as Mass Communication. Vol 16, No 2 (1991). Web. 29 Mar. 2018.
Boatman A. 4 Reasons Why Visual Communication has a Big Impact. (2009). Web. 28 Mar. 2018.
Geenesh. Is image more powerful than the written word? (2011). Web. 27 Mar 2018.
