Reading Blog 1

Maria D. Avgerinou’s article, Re-Viewing Visual Literacy in the “Bain d’ Images” Era, highlights the necessity for visual literacy in today’s image-saturated world. Avgerinou argues that we are constantly bombarded by visual content, from social media to advertisements, however, many people lack the ability to critically engage with these images. Avgerinou labels this epidemic the “Bain d’ Images” or "Image Bath," emphasizing that images dominate modern communication, and few people have the skills to interpret them meaningfully. I personally, found Avgerinou’s argument relevant in my daily life, as I am exposed to thousands of images across various platforms, yet I rarely stop to think about the deeper messages they may convey. Avgerinou’s suggestion, that visual literacy should be taught alongside traditional reading and writing in schools, brought up a point I had not thought of before, but that I fully agree is necessary. As students, we are taught to analyze texts, but with the increase of technology usage in today’s world, I do agree that we should also be taught to evaluate images. What I found most persuasive is Avgerinou’s view that visual literacy is not only an academic skill but a life skill. In a time where misinformation is easily spread through manipulated images or misleading visual content, learning to critically assess visual media should be essential. This skill is particularly important for our generation where we heavily rely on social media for information, communication, and news. Avgerinou’s emphasis on wanting to incorporate visual literacy into education, made me think about my ability to think critically about what I see, as well as understand the power these images might have in shaping peoples’ perceptions, opinions, and beliefs.

Attached, is a screenshot of a quick google search which expresses that over half of the world is on social media. Considering babies and elders in this number, it really puts into perspective how necessary image analysis is in our current day.