What is something you might feel strongly about? Politics, religion, family, cats over dogs, your choice. These positions, for or against, could easily be considered one side of a debate or argument. What happens when we take these positions into the digital realm and release them? Turner & Hicks (2017) state, "any text that we encounter-- fiction or nonfiction, print or digital-- is at some level presenting us with an argument" (p.6). Once we begin to consider almost every post or image is leading us toward a particular point of view, the digital world can become one huge argument. I believe the images we see in the digital world serve to manipulate, intentionally or unintentionally, our comprehension of the author's point of view.
View the video below, do the images support the ASPCA's argument for donations?
While some images contain text trying to invoke a particular point of view, it is the imagery connecting the reader to a particular point of view I find interesting. Turner & Hicks (2017) discuss the importance of digital imagery in social media by stating, "writers in these spaces do not think of them as arguments, image and video play key roles in making and supporting claims" (p.25). When an author uses imagery as evidence, the image may use an emotional connection to lend greater evidence to the author's point of view. Turner & Hicks (2017) discuss how writers may use images, "to marshal evidence, underscore claims, provide warrants, and acknowledge rebuttals" (p.24). An example of imagery as warrants could be shown in an animal shelter using images of dogs to convey the necessity of receiving donations. An image of a dog clearly having been neglected and mistreated, or an image of a young child receiving his or her first puppy from the shelter could be used as a warrant to communicate the claim of services the shelter provides. The shelter's argument of providing services is clear in either image, but which image will provide enough motivational evidence to the reader causing them to donate money. The power of imagery to motivate readers without specifically telling the reader an author's position is truly remarkable.
You might ask, what happens when social media marketers fully realize the power of imagery in social media? Li & Xie (2020) state, "The old idiom 'A picture is worth a thousand words' has become the new maxim among social media marketers" (p.1). Social media imagery can be used to manipulate the reader by promoting engagement. Li & Xie (2020) propose, "three ways through which image content exerts influence on engagement—mere presence, image characteristics, and image–text fit" (p.16). Studying social media accounts of corporations permitted an understanding of how a simple image could be improved to gain larger market exposure. Li & Xie (2020) state, "Our findings give many clues about what types of pictures increase the liking or sharing of a post depending on the social media platform they choose" (p.17). This information leads corporations to promote engagement by the reader by utilizing imagery in their social media accounts.
Given the ability of imagery to manipulate our engagement, why should we incorporate the discussion of imagery in an educational setting? It is abundantly clear imagery could be used to make a claim or used as evidence to enhance an author's point of view. Students learning "strategies unique to digital arguments" might better enable them to discern when digital imagery is leading to a particular point of view (Turner & Hicks, 2017, p.26). Educators can assist students in developing this observational skill by asking, "Why do you think the creator used this particular image" (Turner & Hicks. 2017, p.27)? When we as educators realize our students must eventually enter the real world, we must give them the tools to think for themselves, and part of this free-thinking is knowing when they are being manipulated by imagery in social media. So to answer the question, what's in an image? It depends on the point of view, yours or someone else's.
References
ASPCA. (2020, November 21). Give your Love, Change their Lives [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/eIf0vxjQeWk
Li, Y., & Xie, Y. (2020). Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? An Empirical Study of Image Content and Social Media Engagement. Journal of Marketing Research, 57(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022243719881113
Turner, K.H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write
digital texts: Argument in the real world. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Darren, your blog really got to me by you incorporating that video. That video really made your point about how imagery in the digital world can be manipulating. When I see those commercials on TV I always change the channel to keep from calling them up and giving them my bank account number because they are just that powerful.
ReplyDeleteI think Turner and Hicks (2017) said it best when they said "If we want students to be able to read and write digital arguments, we need to develop their procedural knowledge as it relates, specifically, to the moves of digital argument across various modes and media" (p. 17). This supports your claim that we need to teach our students to be free thinkers. If we teach them how to read and look at images, then they will be able to see them as arguments in order to form their own opinions of them. They will be able to interpret the messages and determine whether or not they agree or disagree.
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ReplyDeleteI love that this is the example you chose! When I think about the ASPCA, I think of hearing Sarah McLachlan singing "In the Arms of an Angel." Whoever was in charge of that advertising knew how to get their argument across in a way that would stick with all types of people!
ReplyDeleteI think when we are initially introduced to an argument in any form we fail to realize how much impact the added digital elements have our arguments and rebuttals. Gone are the days where the only options students have are a few paragraphs typed out in Times New Roman font with some added Print Shop clipart. “Students need to make choices based on their purpose, the work’s context, and the work’s audience” (Turner & Hicks, 2017, p. 128) and since our students have an abundance of resources at their fingertips we should be encouraging students to use different digital elements. By doing this, not only can we put students in charge of the direction their content is going (Kaminskienė, L. & Khetsuriani, N., 2019), but we can gain better insight into their thought processes and experiences. Sure, this may alter the way we grade/assess, but it may actually make our grading/assessing a better indicator of the student's understanding.
References
Kaminskienė, L., & Khetsuriani, N. (2019). Personalisation of learning through digital storytelling. Management: Journal of Contemporary Management Issues, 24(1), 153–165. https://doi.org/10.30924/mjcmi.24.1.10
Turner, K.H. & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world. Heinemann
Hello! This is Jenni Spradlin.
ReplyDeleteI have used that same ASPCA video with my students when teaching emotional appeals and argument. I have included image analysis in my classes for a few years now, but I am inspired to include writing/creating arguments through images as well so that students can see the significant impact that they have on our lives. In a world of memes and shared content, why not teach students how to use them to their advantage?
In addition, we need to ensure that we guide our students to responsibly navigate and participate in digital discourse since it is what they have been doing almost their entire lives. Now is the perfect time to reflect on this skill given that social media campaigns are influencing politics and government and the decisions made by those in charge.
I will agree with the sentiment that Turner and Hicks close out chapter seven with when they say, "our children's lives depend on it" (Turner & Hicks, 2017, p. 137). Although cliche, much like the ASPCA's pleas, we must prepare them for the future rather than just the now. They will be the ones making the decisions for us eventually, and I hope that by then sophisticated civil discourse with be common practice.
Okay... so this is the THIRD computer that I have used this evening to post this :P For the love... However, it gave me time to reflect on your post before typing a response!
ReplyDeleteIn my fourth grade writing class, we discuss "author's purpose" and PIE ( persuade, inform and entertain), we talk about different commercials that we can remember based on the images or videos they show. Of course, this one is one we discuss, because even to kids, animals are so innocent in the video. We also discuss how things can be relayed to different groups of people, such as kids channels during Christmas are loaded with toy commercials and channels such as Nat Geo Wild have commercials about hiking stuff. It was really an interesting thing to discuss and figure out how well commercial people really know what we want to see or buy! Chapter seven was so interesting and enticing to me because it made me think about the "behind the scenes" of everything. I am in a district that is very tech heavy and we really have to watch certain websites now because so many hackers are targeting kids websites! It is so pathetic. I see my students discussing memes and funny pictures, or things on Tick Toc, I think it is our job (along with parents) to teach them responsibility online and how to view certain things. I always tell them about my grandmother, Peggy, she is one of those older people on Facebook who believe EVERYTHING she sees online. My kids LOVE a good Peggy story, but they remember they also don't want to be like her and believe everything they see online. Another thing Turner and Hicks (2017) discuss is the matter of screen capturing (p. 135). I have seen this feature destroy lives and I think it is incredibly important to teach kids that everything can come back to bite you. Sometimes even as an adult I put things in text that I would never say in person, and I feel like students should be able to understand the importance and be cautious about screen capturing.