Michelle Hawran: Picture Problem

Gladwell’s “The Picture Problem” explores society’s reliance on photography as a truth through two interesting lenses: medicine and the military. Gladwell uses the example of destroying Scuds (or so we thought) during the Gulf War to prove that yes, cameras take a snapshot of what is physically in front of them, but it’s the interpretation of photographs that truly make meaning of what is being seen through the lens. I agree with the point that photographs have the potential to cause confusion, seeing as no two people view a photograph the same. In the case of mammograms, the viewer might not even understand what they’re seeing at all. In some cases, photographs provide a head start, but as physician David Dershaw noted in the article, a viewer needs to “respect the limitations of technology.” I believe that tactile and manual exploration is just as important, even in a culture where we rely so heavily on our visual sense. Just as Gladwell stated, the using your own finger to examine your breasts lets you feel what’s actually there, a skill that has taken a backseat to letting images tell us what is happening around us. However, even through all of the confusion that such a limited thing like a photograph can cause, I still believe that photography gives society a good head start, especially in the case of mammography. Just as Gladwell explains, the mammogram doesn’t promise anything. Mammograms can reduce the risk of dying from breast cancer, but  it’s a specific form of imaging that has its limitations and boundaries. But even with these limitations, we are by no means better off without it.