A fake photo of an explosion near the Pentagon once rattled the stock market. A tearful video of a frightened young “Ukrainian conscript” went viral: until exposed as staged. We may be approaching a “synthetic media tipping point”, where AI-generated images and videos are becoming so realistic that traditional markers of authenticity, such as visual flaws, are rapidly disappearing.
In 2025, 70% of people struggle to trust online information, and 64% fear AI-generated content could influence elections. We are entering an era where seeing is no longer believing.
In such a world, learning to critically decode media is key to safeguarding truth, trust and democracy. “Visual thinking strategies”, a discussion technique originally developed for art education, offers a simple but powerful framework for navigating today’s complex media landscape.
It is based on three open-ended questions around a piece of visual media (like a painting, photograph or video):
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ehat’s going on in this picture?
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What do you see that makes you say that?
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What more can we find?
These questions prompt people to slow down, observe carefully and justify their interpretations with evidence. The approach is not only about looking, it’s about thinking together.
It usually happens in a group, guided by a facilitator – often a teacher – who paraphrases and connects participants’ ideas. Participants share and listen to individual observations, build on each other’s contributions, challenge assumptions and refine their thinking. This process surfaces biases, mitigates groupthink and promotes critical engagement.
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Imagine you are shown a picture of a protest and asked “What is going on in this picture?” You say, “It looks like a climate march.” When asked, “what is it that you see makes you say that it is a climate march?”, you point to the signs. Others notice the police presence, the age of the crowd, the place where it’s happening or the lighting.
As the discussion unfolds, the group begins to see the image from multiple angles. This approach is exactly what’s needed in a world of manipulated images and political polarisation.
This strategy doesn’t guarantee “truth.” It cultivates habits of mind that resist manipulation: curiosity, evidence-based reasoning and tolerance for ambiguity. Even if someone responds in bad faith, its structure – especially the second question, which is intended to trigger critical analysis – requires them to explain their reasoning. This opens space for others to question, clarify and reframe.
Early classroom observations in the 1990s revealed that children carried these reasoning habits beyond the art class, asking, “what’s going on in this text?” or “in this maths problem?” Learners internalise this protocol and apply it intuitively to other activities in their everyday lives.
Why this approach matters now
The visual thinking strategies approach has positive implications not just for media literacy,