Reading Blog #1

In the reading "Re-Viewing Visual Literacy in the "Brain d' Images" Era", Maria D. Avgerinou highlights the ever-changing aspects of digital media that surrounds us every day, and the importance of teaching and understanding visual literacy in this new, visual media era.

When I was a kid obviously TV’s and smartphones were around and visual media was present in many areas of life, however, all of these were generally in the earlier stages of their life. No one could have imagined the rapid, exponential growth and expansion of visual media. TVs, smartphones, and computers continued to see upgrades, and evolved in a number of ways. Video games, social media, and digital billboards became more and more present and complex, and there was no instruction manual or guide book for people to help them understand, live, and thrive in this new world of media.

This is why I think the topic of visual literacy is important to talk about, however I do not believe that this problem can be solved as easily as teaching about it in classrooms or educational settings. Around the world people of all ages are exposed to so many different forms of visual media in their everyday life. With this in mind, it doesn’t make sense to think that there can be a curriculum taught about visual literacy. In other aspects of people’s lives they learn through exposure and experience, and I think this relates to visual literacy. One can be taught to identify different forms of visual media and the different goals or responses they may be trying to convey, but at the end of the day a person's interaction and interpretation of different media will be different to someone else's, and the best way to learn and become familiar with visual literacy is through more exposure.

Overall, in our now media-centered society, I believe that visual literacy is important, for people of all ages. Technology is not going away, and it will continue to advance and evolve, so it is important for people to be aware of the information they are digesting, and of the changing world around them.