We have become, by evolution or accident, a more visual society. Or maybe we’re returning to the time before print, when people had to rely on what they saw before their eyes. Either way, increasingly over the years, we’ve become reliant more on seeing images in place of words. (Can’t think why but the first example that sprang to mind was the once courteous and tell-all signs of ‘Ladies’ and ‘Gents’ on public conveniences, now replaced by utilitarian stick figures). However, I can’t deny that it plays to the eye more effectively than a stream of words and, if one’s need is desperate, saves a bit of time, effort – and maybe embarrassment – reading.
Film is a prime example. As viewers we soak up what we’re being shown, often without the need for a commentary or dialogue. These images are easy to absorb, streaming past us in a recognisable fashion.