The Psychological Benefits of Printed Photos | Boise Family Portrait Photographer
Do you print photos for your children to hold and enjoy?
Did you know there is a psychological benefit to having printed photos of yourself and your family in your home? It's true! In the words of Psychologist Judy Weiser:
When a child sees a family portrait with them included in the photograph they say to themselves: "These people have me as part of what they are, that’s why I belong here. This is where I come from.”
Psychologists have researched the benefits of having self portraits on the self esteem of children.
During a 5-week study in 1975 that explored the impact of portrait photography on the self-esteem of 4th graders, Jerry Fryrear of Tulane University and Mary Ammerman found that the children who were given portraits of themselves as part of the experiment experienced a 37% increase in self‐esteem related behaviors compared to the control group (who received portraits at the end of the project). Professor Geoff Beattie, Dean of Psychological Sciences at the University of Manchester asserts: "For children, in particular, looking at photographs is part of the socializing process; learning who you are and where you fit into the family. By displaying photographs of our children at different stages of their lives, we are making a very public statement that we are proud of them.”
Did you have printed photos and photo albums to look at growing up?
Many of our parents and grandparents likely had family photos proudly displayed on their walls or neatly presented in photo albums for us to look at whenever our hearts desired. In today's world, most photos are left on electronic devices and never printed. I get it, ordering prints, creating albums and hanging photos on your walls takes time and effort - way more effort than posting on social media or scrolling through a device. Sadly, this means that many children today are growing grow up without physical photos of themselves and their family that they can touch, hold, and cherish.
Does it matter if the photos are printed or digital?
David Krauss, Licensed Psychologist and author of Phototherapy in Mental Health, argues that: “placing a family photo someplace in the home where the child can see it every day without having to turn on a device or click around on a computer to find it really hits home for that child this sense of reassurance and comfort. They have a certainty about them and a protecting quality that nurtures a child. It let’s them know where they are in the pecking order and that they are loved and cared for,” When we print photos for our children, we are giving them the opportunity to access, look back on, and enjoy their memories and favorite photos without needing our help to do so. When we print photos for our children, we are empowering them.
