It’s been said that every picture tells a story, but sometimes that story isn’t accurate.
This is the case with a picture I saw on a social media feed last week, showing a group of students looking at their phones instead of the artwork behind them.
The photograph was taken at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Behind the students is Night Watch, a famous painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt, painted in 1642.
It’s clear to see what’s happening. The students are so caught up in the online world that they do not notice the beauty of the painting.
People around the world have seen this picture circulating on social media and have commented on how it shows the worst elements of the Internet, social media and personal devices such as smart phones.
It shows youth — “that younger generation” — focussing on their small screens so much that they miss real-world experiences.
But that conclusion isn’t accurate.
This isn’t the story of youth ignoring artwork.
Instead, the museum has an app for smart phones and tablets, a downloadable multimedia tour for its visitors.
Another picture, taken on the same day, shows some of the same students sitting in front of another painting while a teacher or staff member speaks.
How does a picture of students at a museum turn into a criticism of youth andonline technology?
It begins with assumptions.
If people believe youth are constantly using smart phones and other devices to talk to their friends or follow social media , it’s easy to assume this is what was happening in the picture, or any time they see a teen using a smart phone.
But, as we have just seen, the assumption is wrong.
Using this picture to reinforce a point about social media isn’t just inaccurate. It’s also unfair.
It makes an assumption about an identifiable segment of society — in this case teens — even though the picture shows something quite different.
Assumptions can lead to inaccurate conclusions.
What does this mean for us? Perhaps we are making assumptions that lead to inaccurate conclusions more often than we think.
Someone who believes a specific religion promotes intolerance or terrorism will see an act by one member of that faith as indicative of all followers.
Someone with a low opinion of people of a specific ethnicity, cultural group or country of origin may assume the actions of one bad person also represent most or all within that group.
If one believes an elected representative is untrustworthy, all decisions made by that representative will be viewed with suspicion.
In a workplace, if one employee is seen as lazy or incompetent, the conclusion may be reinforced by what others see, even when there’s more to the story.
Who here has ever been on the receiving end of one of these assumptions, or any other? I’d like to see a show of hands. I’ll raise my hand as well.
Those who have been on the receiving end of an unfair assumption know how it feels. We know how much we hate it.
I’d also like to see a show of hands from those who have ever — even once — judged a group or an individual based on assumptions which might not be completely accurate.
Unfortunately, I have to raise my hand for this one too.
It’s far too easy to make a conclusion without seeing the complete picture.
John Arendt is the editor of the Summerland Review.
