Benefits of Visual Communication

Benefits of Visual Communication

There are benefits and challenges associated with having so many visuals available to us today. "More and more professions that rely heavily on communication and persuasion are embracing graphics as a tool of choice," (Parkinson, M., 2012).

"Albert Mehrabian demonstrated that 93% of communication is nonverbal. Studies find that the human brain deciphers image elements simultaneously, while language is decoded in a linear, sequential manner taking more time to process. Our minds react differently to visual stimuli," (Parkinson, M., 2012). People remember information that is presented to them by visual communication much better than that which is only provided verbal communication. When it comes to quick, clear communication, images outdo text and verbal communication majority of the time. Reading or hearing about a situation is very different from seeing it. Suppose someone witnesses another person getting hit by a car? That vision will always be remembered as to oppose someone telling a story about another person getting hit by the car.

One of the challenges associated with having so many visuals available to us today is using photos for personal benefit without having copyrights permission. It is hard to determine when to balance the use of a company's rights, licenses, and copyright requirements. "(In the United States, a copyright holder has some exclusive rights to his or her work, and those rights are protected by US Copyright Law," (Librarian, J. T., 2013). Another challenge is the strong indications that the status of images is improving. Because of technology, the world has become a mediated blitz of images. The newspapers, magazines, books, clothing, billboards, computer monitors and television screens are filled with so many images. People today are becoming a visually mediated society. For many, understanding of the world is being accomplished, not through reading words, but by reading images. "Philosopher Hanno Hardt warns that the television culture is replacing words as the important factor in social communication. Shortly, words will be reserved for only bureaucratic transactions through business forms and in books that will only be read by a few individuals. Reading is losing to watching because viewing requires little mental processing," (Hardt, H., 1991).

"It is unlawful to infringe on the rights of copyright holders. They can sue for damages or to recoup lost profits as a result of infringement, which is costly," (Librarian, J. T., 2013). Copyright law suffers from a degree of ambiguity that can make it difficult to know exactly what constitutes copyright infringement. Demonstrating respect for the rights of copyright holders is simply the right thing to do.

In conclusion, through technology, human beings are obligated to view and advertise using visuals. Visuals are used