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Debate Info

74
29
Agree Disagree
Debate Score:103
Arguments:59
Total Votes:119
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 Agree (42)
 
 Disagree (17)

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A picture is more powerful than mere words.

What are words? What are pictures? What is this?

Agree

Side Score: 74
VS.

Disagree

Side Score: 29
5 points

Pictures can help break any language barriers. Take for example, the toilet sign. Toilets have different interpretations in different countries and it would be very frustrating if one does not recognize the word "toilet" in another language. However, with the toilet sign implemented, all problems would be solved since the sign for males and females are similar all over the world. Apart from this, showing a taxi driver a picture of the train station would be more effective than trying to get the driver to understand you by making weird train noises or learning their language and probably end up embarrassing yourself. Therefore, a picture is more effective and powerful in bringing the meaning across than mere words.

Side: agree
3 points

A picture is more powerful than mere words. Pictures reach audiences more directly than mere words alone. They convey the author’s attitude to the subject, and enhance our understanding of the text. A picture explains complicated ideas at a glance and even teach those who cannot read. They engage us, prompt our imagination, and appeal to both readers and non-readers. Thus, a picture is more powerful than mere words.

Side: agree
2 points

When conveying important information about the benefits of a medication to patients, pictures appear to be more powerful than words.

A study of 100 patients with cardiovascular disease finds that 57 percent prefer information about the risks and benefits of treatment be presented graphically. Other ways of expressing risk and benefit were less popular among study participants. Only 19 percent preferred information expressed as relative risk, 13 percent preferred absolute risk, 9 percent preferred natural frequencies, and only one patient preferred the information be presented in terms of an odds ratio.

Notably, no patients preferred number needed to treat, a method for communicating risk and benefit that is very useful to clinicians. The authors assert that these findings support the need for the development of visual aids to support shared clinical decision making.

Side: agree
2 points

A picture is more useful when it comes to teaching because it is more easily be processed by students especially those in elementary level. Thier information processing ability may not be that good enough to process words. Hence, a picture is more powerful when it comes to sending a direct and simple information.

Side: agree
blaqwhyt(3) Disputed
2 points

Firstly you stated that these students are "in [the] elementary level." Secondly, you suggested that their information processing ability "may not be that good enough". The above two are your premises. This is your objective: to send a direct and simple information. This is where the problem is. Pictures require interpretation as much as words do. Pictures earn their meaning from how they are used in the real world (something that elementary students have not spent much time in). For instance, one only understands the image of a simple man as a symbol for the toilet if he has seen the symbol at public toilets. A word "toilet" may suffice for the child to understand. Also, it really depends on whether the elementary student has a better affinity for words, or for pictures. At the stage of development you have defined, the child's mental framework is still developing. One cannot ascertain whether the child processes images or words more readily. Hence, your sweeping statement cannot stand because pictures and words may take a more peripheral role based on circumstance, and upbringing.

Side: Disagree
2 points

Pictures have proven to be quintessential tools for political change, reform, and influence. Reformist presidential canditate Mir Hossein Mousavi has used pictures among another media to sway young voters in bid to remove then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Shi'ite cleric Mohammad Ali Abtahi attributed Mr Mousavi's success in consolidating the votes of youth to Mr Mousavi's use of political imagery and Mr Ahmadinajad's stubborn believe of using only rhetoric and speeches to persuade. Clearly, certain political circumstances provide the premise for pictures to take on a more effective role.

Side: agree
2 points

Pictures are more powerful than words because pictures are able to reach out to a wider audience than words. For example, the Central Provident Fund comic strips published in the The Straits Times simplify the dense content so that the elderly are able to comprehend the messages. Furthermore, pictures in the form of illustrations in textbooks help students to understand and grasp the concepts better. As such, pictures are more powerful than words since pictures are more effective in bringing across messages to people.

Side: agree
2 points

A picture can be more powerful than mere words when it comes to advertising. Most advertisements make use of picture rather than words to capture the consumer's attention. For example, as a person walks by the advertisment would have at most 2 seconds to capture the consumer's attention. Hence, in the case of capturing someone's attnetion. A picture may be deemed more poweful than mere words.

Side: agree
yching(4) Disputed
5 points

By using pictures only, it would not be effective with the consumers. Without any words to supplement the pictures, consumers would not be able to understand the message being persented by the advertisment. Pictures can be interpreted differently by different people, if the true meaning of the picture is not understood or interpreted wrongly, then there would be no point in using pictures, thus rendering pictures to be powerless.

Side: Disagree
2 points

A picture is more powerful than mere words because of the VISUAL IMPACT it is able to provide. Pictures are more powerful in grabbing attention, hence its use in billboards, posters and newspaper advertisements all around the world! Furthermore, pictures can invoke greater emotions in people than just words. Can't you see that's why the cigarette packs now have pictures of scary disease struck humans to trumatise smokers so that they can quit smoking.

Side: agree
1 point

Pictures can deliver immediate impact to the audience. However, the context and purpose of the picture should be illustrated by words to effectively draw out this impact.

One strong picture which transmits an uproarious message would be the photograph of a starving Sudanese child on her way to a feeding centre being haunted by a vulture during a Sudan famine.

Taken by Kevin Carter, this photograph won the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography and was published in the New York Times, eliciting a tumultous debate that made the world scream. Hundreds of people called the newspaper organisation to inquire whether the child survived. This one simple photograph was able to capture public attention and even spark off a contentious debate; Kevin was besieged by the public when he did not " take off his photographer's hat and rescue the child from a dangerous situation". The fact that this series of events took place because of a picture underscores the impact it brings and substantiates its power.

However, we should not be overlook the fact that pictures, similar to words, do not entail rigidly specific information. The specific context in the photograph taken by Kevin Carter and its purpose cannot be explicitly shown to the audience merely by pictures. With the words explaining the poverty situation in Sudan and highlighting the purpose of the photograph, the picture was able to evoke a heavy impact more effectively.

Therefore, pictures can deliver a heavy impact, often when its context and purpose are accentuated by the essential usage of words.

Side: agree
2 points

Behavioral data shows that consumers engage deeply in Image Search tasks, with nearly double the page views per query on average as we see in the more text-centric core search experience. Looking at the consumer research, our analyses show that images on a traditional search results page are a big driver of consumer satisfaction, especially for task related queries like buying products, catching up on celebrity gossip, or planning a trip. This is one reason why we are seeing images both on the main search results page and within the Image Search verticals. Furthermore, a study conducted by Microsoft Research shows that consumers can process results with images 20% faster than text only results. So it’s clear that images play a big part in helping consumer’s complete tasks for a variety of search activities where decision making is enhanced by a more visual search experience.

Side: agree
2 points

1. Pictures have been used in court cases and are strong complements to envidences, besides words that victims, alibis or suspects claimed.

For example, a woman in the United States who has been receiving aid from the government due to her health condition-depression, was found to be lying when she uploaded a picture of her partying with her friends on Facebook.

Her aid was later revoked.

Since the government rely on the picture, it shows that pictures are reliable. Hence, pictures are more convincing than mere words that people claimed, as they act as strong complements to envidences.

2. For example, health warning pictures are printed on Singapore's cigarette pack. This is to inform the people of the health complications of smoking and therefore indirectly hope to discourage people from smoking. These warning pictures are useful as the strategy has been widely adopted in many countries to curb smoking. Should words been used instead, the strategy may not have been that effective. Hence, it shows that pictures are more powerful than mere words.

Side: agree
1 point

A picture is more powerful than mere words when it comes to investigating crimes/ accidents. Pictures for such purposes can reveal details on the crime/ accident scenes that were being overlooked. This helps people to recreate things into words and is espcially vital to the authorities tasked to investigate the situation. It may assist them in cracking the case within a shorter period of time. Also, it is difficult to argue against a picture compared to mere words in statements. Furthermore, accident/crime scenes are usually cleaned up quickly. Hence, it is essential to record the details of the crime/accident scenes within a short period of time.

For exmaple, pictures are more useful in a car accident. The pictures will show clearly how the accident occurred and how the damages were caused. Accident pictures can clear an innocent person of fault if the parties involved intends to file a claim against him/her.

Side: agree
2 points

A picture enables one to have an actual image of a particular place, person or object . On the other hand, mere words can only give a description of the real picture but it is up to the creativity and intepretation of an individual which defines how the image will look like. Sometimes things are best seen by the human eye and mere words cannot describe them in their minutest detail. Therefore, it is clearly evident that picture is more powerful than mere words.

Side: agree
2 points

A picture are more powerful than words as they are able to provide visual effects and influence the way people think. for example, in slimming advertisements on newspapers and the television, pictures of before and after the slimming treatment were shown to create the idea that their treatments are very effective, thus going for it. this shows that pictures are powerful as they can change the way how a person thinks.

Side: agree
2 points

Words and pictures are important in allowing us to decipher information useful to us. However, i feel that a picture is more powerful than mere words. Stories can be told via pictures instead of words while at the same time, conveying the same message across to people, as well as invoking the reader's imagination and enhancing the reader's thinking skills. People who do not know how to read would be able to understand the story despite their disability to read. This allow the message to be conveyed to a wider audience. Thus, i agree that a picture is more powerful than mere words.

Side: agree
2 points

Pictures are more powerful than words.

Picture have been long chosen as a tool to influence the people's emotion. In the context of natural disaster, pictures have been used to show people the impact of disaster as it most likely Will make a greater impact than paragraphs of words writing about the disaster. For example, the Si Chuan Earthquake 2008, Haiti Earthquake of 2010 have been major global news recently and it is not hard to find the pictures of the disaster splattered across the pages of newspapers, websites. This shows that pictures are so important and useful in influencing people. During disasters, people will be encouraged to donate too, to help the victims. This is also done in the form of pictures where the show how horrible the incident had been and persuade people to donate.

Therefore, pictures are more important than words and it may also be use as a tool for charity.

Side: agree
2 points

pictures are more powerful than mere words as they can be used to influence human easily. persuasion through advertisements are good examples to how people are easily captivated by the images.

one such example is alcohol advertisements. according to CNN, san Francisco advertising researchers say some animated beer commercials, particularly the Budweiser frogs have so much appeal to young people that the ads may be encouraging teens to try alcohol.One of the contributing factors appeared to be television, especially when the messages on TV shows or commercials made the teens feel that drinking would make them happier or more popular. These advertisements are often repeated and it is often not possible for people to have missed it.

therefore, pictures are more powerful than words as pictures are more influential

Side: agree
2 points

pictures are more powerful than mere words. picture is a universal tool of communication whereby everyone can understand it. it can reach almost everyone, from young children to the elderly, from educated to the literate. this makes pictures way more powerful than words as it can carry the message across to the majority.

Side: agree
2 points

A picture is way more powerful than words because if you accuses some one of something the picture confirms your story because you have stone cold proof

Side: agree
2 points

Most definetly. I went to Chile and I couldn't understand anything. I was looking for the airport and I saw the airplane sign on one of the signs on the road and just followed it. Without that picture I would of had to embarrass myself to try and get directions.

Side: Agree
1 point

A picture speaks a thousand words. With this phrase, one can infer that a picture is indeed more powerful than mere words. For one to read a article in order to grasp its content, one would probably need ten minutes. However, looking at a picture which would allow you to understand the same amount of content, will only need probably ten seconds. Therefore, pictures are better way to convey a message compare to mere words.

Side: agree
1 point

Pictures are more powerful than mere words because pictures are more engaging and easier to understand and are able to provoke more thoughts and feelings than mere reading of words like factual newspapers reports.Take for example,citizen Journalism is getting more popular in the society.People are getting more involved in taking pictures anywhere,anytime and posting it on online portals.These pictures can give us the full picture of the incident better than factual reports found on newspapers.Local forum portal websites like stomp.sg have manged to sparked discussions regarding current issues whereby people post their different opinions on the forum regarding these issues.

Side: agree
1 point

Pictures are more powerful than mere words as a picture can bring out the intended purpose of the photographer or news in the most straight forward and direct way.

For instance, the advertising photographs of the tourism board of a country can immediately bring out the beauty of the places of interest rather than what words could. Also, newspapers had been reporting a lot about the earthquake that struck Haiti. The description and reports of the reporters tell us the bad situation Haiti is in now and how much the population was affected by the disaster. However pictures of collapsed infrastructures, dead bodies and the adverse living conditions of the people living there clearly show us that help is needed in Haiti and we all should do something to lessen there sufferings.

Therfore, pictures can provide information in the most direct way, hence powerful.

Side: agree
1 point

Pictures are more powerful than words as pictures can be used as a communicative tool between people.

This is evident among children suffering from autism where they do not express their feelings or thoughts either physically or verbally. These children choose to doodle on paper every time an emotion is felt, be it sad, happy or angry. Psychiatrists are able to detect their emotions which the child is feeling through the way the child chooses to express himself.

Through drawings (pictures drawn), people can thus communicate more effectively with the child. Therefore, pictures are more powerful in this case.

Side: agree
1 point

Picture is more powerful than mere words because pictures can help many people to learn better. Many of us are visual learners, by looking at pictures, it is actually easier for us to absorb and remember what we have learnt. For example, during lectures, slides that are shown with pictures allow students to have a deeper impression of what was taught than just slides with only words. Pictures make the slides and lesson more interesting and engaging as well and students will pay more attention during lectures. Therefore, a picture is more powerful than mere words.

Side: agree
1 point

Picture is more powerful than mere words. A picture can reach a wider audience, even to those who are illiterate. Many of the people living in Africa are uneducated as they lack the financial assistance and facilities to attend school, hence resulting in many being illiterate. In this case, pictures can be used to convey a message much easier across than using words because many do not know how to read words. People who are educated may not know every words and hence certain meaning may be skipped when they are unsure of the meanings of any words. Therefore, using pictures may actually be more powerful in bringing across the intended message to the audience rather than using mere words.

Side: agree

Depends on the word or picture. Modern art (i.e. two squares of different shapes and colors) doesn't mean a thing compared to words. But a perfect picture (my picture of Iwo Jima, perhaps) is moving.

Side: agree
1 point

Pictures can have an instant impact on a person. it is a tool for fast communication. The power of pictures lies in the speed it can convey a message.

Side: agree

You should have posted a picture of this debate. It would have been a more forcefull argument ;)

Side: agree
1 point

Without pictures, we are left with only describing words, whose accuracy may be doubtful. Take Maxi Sopo's situation as an example. After being charged with fraud in the year 2009, it was his Facebook pictures that led to his identification and arrest in Mexico. If presented with the description of the twenty-six year old, it is probable that Sopo's arrest would not have been possible. In providing us with an accurate image of the situation at that time, pictures can be more powerful than words.

Side: agree

I've heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words and I agree.

Side: Agree
0 points

Pictures are more powerful then words as they do not require a prior background and foundation that has to be laid before viewing other than the history of the picture. words however require the language written to be understood for example , a scroll was recovered in the lost language that is sanksrit but despite having the scrolls , because no one understands the words, the content in the scrolls are meaningless.Hence rendering the content useless.

Side: agree
0 points

Pictures can also be deceiving and illogical but still powerful, considering the impact that they might impose on the people. For example, a few years back, there was this advertisement on a new KFC meal, the Banditto Pocket. The TV advertisement showed how a Mexican prisoner actually bent the bars in the prison and escaped. Another current example will be the advertisement of a flying man after eating a Ricola sweet. These advertisements are though illogical but still possess the power of influencing the consumers in buying the products.

Side: agree
adriana(3) Disputed
2 points

this does not show how the picture is more powerful, it just provides comic relief. there was no proof that because of this advertisement, that the sales of the product increased.

Side: Disagree
0 points

Despite the obvious fact that words are definitely a more convenient method for the information relay as compared to pictures, it has to be acknowledged that visual imagery such as pictorial represtentations can allow people to grasp concepts or comprehend the gravity of a certain situation to a larger extent and can also reach out to a wider audience. For example, people who are illiterate cannot understand what words mean, however, if they observe a picture, they would be able to comprehend the point that is trying to put across, hence in this case, due to the wider audience that pictures can encompass, it is more powerful than mere words.

Side: agree
0 points

Words and pictures are important in allowing us to decipher information useful to us. However, i feel that a picture is more powerful than mere words. Stories can be told via pictures instead of words while at the same time, conveying the same message across to people, as well as invoking the reader's imagination and enhancing the reader's thinking skills. People who do not know how to read would be able to understand the story despite their disability to read. This allow the message to be conveyed to a wider audience. Thus, i agree that a picture is more powerful than mere words.

Side: agree
0 points

A picture is more powerful than mere words when it is used to convey the reality of things and educate someone about something. For example, pictures may be used to teach a student about something, instead of just using mere words to let them understand the logic of certain things. For instance, instead of merely presenting a rule, as many school books do, a better way is to teach children to visualise fractions, and perform some simple operations with a picture, without knowingly applying any given 'rule'. This allows the students to better understand fractions by visualising the images in their minds.

Hence, a picture is more powerful than mere words.

Side: agree
Depresshir Disputed
2 points

Pictures alone wont have an impact without the compliments of words. Pictures are used as a guidance of concepts to children who are unfamiliar with certain words and it is inapplicable in the aspects of older generations. Not many rules and concepts can be brought across by using pictures and sometimes words can actually be more powerful in bringing across a certain meaning.

Side: Disagree
idiocy(2) Disputed
2 points

a picture alone may not be as useful. it may not give people the full understanding of certain topics as not everything can be represented by pictures. words may be more powerful in building up the basic understanding of certain issues and pictures are only able to enhance people's understanding. hence, pictures alone are not enough to convey the reality of things and educate someone about something and therefore, not more powerful than mere words.

Side: Disagree
3 points

Words can be more powerful than a picture because they describe someone's emotion. This is different from a picture because while a picture can capture and show someone's emotion, it is unable to describe.

Side: Disagree
yching(4) Disputed
1 point

Being able to capture and show someone's emotions already display the power of pictures. Words can only describe and try to let the reader imagine the emotions, however, it depends on the ability of the writer to be able describe the emotions accurately.

Side: agree
1 point

mere words can be more powerful than words as it is able to influence people greatly. One example is religious books. They contain hardly any pictures and those words are able to affect how one thinks, act and live their lives. From the impact it have on the lives of people, we can clearly say that words are more powerful than pictures.

Side: Disagree
3 points

For example, Muslim extremists are staunch in their belief of engaging in acts of terrorism. Their reason is that the Quran stated that Muslims should wage a holy war against those who oppose Islam. It highlights that words are more powerful than pictures, as these Mulism extremists are willing to be martyrs under the influence of the words from the Quran

Side: Disagree
blaqwhyt(3) Disputed
2 points

There are bibles that come with pictures and other 'artist impressions' along-side verses and representation. They are available in the market. Are the content (in terms of verses and passages) of these bibles with pictures any different from the ones in pure text? Furthermore, what impact are you speaking of? Quantify it, and qualify it, or your point does not stand.

Side: agree
1 point

evidence: bible and quoran have been around for years but people still use them for reference today

Side: Disagree
1 point

From words, we may gain more insights and get inspired and motivated and this is hardly can be obtained from pictures. This is evident because we can see that people can get inspired by Mr Obama's speech or Mr Mandela's speech or even Adam Khoo, but we will not see people getting them from just the mere pictures or potraits of the people themselves. Nevertheless, the words have to be substantiated. Thus, words can be powerful and impactful in influencing people and to set us thinking.

Side: Disagree
joofei(3) Disputed
1 point

I wish to type something but I seriously need to leave for PE ! Mr Lim !

Side: agree
1 point

Words carry with them ideas - your thoughts and ideas. Pictures do too, but words replayed in your mind create a picture of your own making- not someone else’s. For example, in marketing, you want to create a picture in your customer’s mind that will be a thousand times more compelling than the one they will see in your advertisement. Imagine what would happen if you simply put a nice picture in your advertisement, without using any words! The prospect would have no idea what message you intended to get across. It is better to use powerful and persuasive words in the advertisement to relay the information. That is why words are more powerful than pictures.

Side: Disagree
Joeyy(1) Disputed
2 points

Imagine an advertisement with purely words, how attractive/captivating can it be? In this case, both pictures and words complement each other. Words alone in an advertisement will not be powerful.

Side: agree
1 point

a picture is not necessarily more powerful than mere words. Words do a better job of getting one's meaning across to one's intended audience. They allow us to communicate directly without any second-guessing whereas, a picture may be interpreted in many ways, thus its message is sometimes cannot be conveyed entirely.

Side: Disagree
chiapeijun(2) Disputed
1 point

words do not always allow us to communicate directly without any second-guessing as there are instances where there are underlying meanings to certain words. :)

Side: agree
weilin(2) Disputed
1 point

Even though words have the advantage have getting a meaning clearly through to the audience, however the impact it will will have is little.

In this case, the definition of powerful may refer to the impact is has rather than the ability to convey a message accurately. Therefore, picture is now more powerful than words. For example, reading an article and just digesting all the facts compared to looking at the picture and interpreting it a little off the mark, however it manages to stir your emotions and even change your life forever. wouldn't you then agree that picture is useful and more powerful then words?

Side: Disagree
1 point

Words alone confuse people easily if the person is very influencing to other. For example, people trust famous economists and politicians such as Barack Obama because they hold certain level of influening power. Hence, their words alone can actually affect the whole world greatly.

Side: Disagree
1 point

one can use the impact of words and pictures as a yardstick to measure the amount of power the have.

picutures can be just as powerful as words depending on their usuage.

one can still remember the riots and anger due to the Danish Cartoons dipicting Islamic Prophet Muhammad as a major cause of terrorism. these cartoons were first published in newpapers on 30th of september 2005 and in later more than 50 other countries. this then caused widespread riots resulting in more than a 100 deaths.

however, we also have seen damaged in the community in the controversy in malaysia over the use of the word " Allah".

Side: Disagree
1 point

words are more useful than pictures. if not, why are we doing this debate in words instead of pictures?

Side: Disagree
1 point

A picture is not more powerful than mere words because pictures and words must coexist. They complement each other in their purpose. One such purpose is that they can be used as learning tools for educational purposes. For example, flowcharts and diagrams with annotations and captions in textbooks or reference books can facilitate learning in terms of understanding. With just mere words, some processes may be too complicated to understand. With just a picture, it is not sufficient to allow the process to be understood. This shows how information can be better represented by pictures and words to help explanation become clearer. Hence, words and pictures must come together to create a powerful impact. Young children also start their learning from mini picture cards that usually consists of a picture and a word below. This helps them to recognize both the picture and the word, and allows them to associate that word to the picture. This shows how both words and pictures are equally powerful in that they complement each other and can be used to educate more effectively. Thus, a picture is not more powerful than mere words because they must coexist to be powerful for educational purposes.

Side: Disagree
1 point

Picture is better. Through pictures and images message can be conveyed well. Many messages can be understood well.

Side: Disagree