A video is worth 10,000 words

Don't let information get lost in the retelling

In my household, my husband is the one who has internalized all the details of how our (extremely complicated) HVAC system works. But I’m more usually the one who is home when the HVAC technician comes. I have often found myself trying to remember exactly how he described the issue — all the while knowing I’m likely using the wrong names for parts, and struggling when the tech asks a question I can’t answer.

But if the old saying is that a photo is worth 1000 words, the updated version is that a video can be worth 10,000. Thanks to smart phones we all have the ability to communicate even complex directions without being there. There is no reason to play a game of telephone, where everything gets garbled in the retelling. Just take a video and let that do the talking for you.

So, for instance, if you witnessed a problem with your sink, but your roommate will be the one entertaining the plumber, simply videotape the problem — or yourself talking about the problem — and share that with your roommate (or the plumber directly if you can!). There’s no chance that your roommate will describe it incorrectly and you’ll wind up with the wrong fix, which will be frustrating for all involved.

Videos can also help explain complicated processes to people who need help with them. If your grandmother struggles to turn on her new TV, find the channels for her favorite programs, and play shows she’s recorded, you can make a video of yourself navigating the new system. Then, when she wants to watch Shark Week, she can just play your how-to video and follow the steps you demonstrated.

In a similar vein, you can make videos for your future self. Maybe there’s a tricky-to-navigate online database that you use once a year. You can take a video of the steps you need to follow so that next year, you don’t have to figure out, yet again, through trial and error, how to use it. You can just watch your video and follow your steps.

I know I’ve been amazed at the variety of helpful YouTube videos out there. There are lots of things, from winning video games, to tying neckties, to folding a fitted sheet, that are really hard to explain in words or even step by step pictures. A video, on the other hand, is at least as good as 10 pictures (which are themselves as good as 1000 words apiece!). You don’t have to tell people to look for the big yellow button. You just show yourself clicking the big yellow button. All is good.