We live in a culture that churns out photographs by the billions every year and then immediately discards them in equal numbers.

As a photography educator, I try to counter that trend in any way I can, but mainly by encouraging visual literacy and a deeper awareness of the history of the medium and it’s different traditions of image-making.

My message to students this week has to do with the difference between appreciating and being able to discuss photographs intelligently and merely “liking” them on social media.

The takeaway today: likes on social media are the same as money in Monopoly.

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photo by Lee Friedlander