I first wrote about Gibberish math in a December 2023 article - it’s when a writer for a magazine or a journalist for a newspaper or an online blogger includes a ‘junk math’ image, a ‘non-sensical math’ illustration, to accompany an article that has something to do with math.
To me gibberish math is like having a pebble in your shoe - it’s an irritant but at some point, you have to stop and do something about it. For students’ gibberish math is a little like that except less obvious. For student’s it’s more like advertising - it’s easy for it to influence you in ways you don’t know it’s influencing you.
Yesterday, I emailed my second letter to a newspaper journalist on this (see below for contents of the letter minus their name, and ‘gibberish math’ image is at the end). If you see an image in an article that has gibberish math, email me the link and I’ll send them an email. Or you can get involved and send an email too.
Good afternoon …,
Edison here.
A comment and question about the 'math' illustration/picture that accompanied your January 19, 2024, article - link to your article is below and picture attached at end of this email. Article was, titled ‘…. ‘, and here’s the link to your article.
The 'math' used in the picture is not math!
I am a 1-on-1 math teacher-tutor, and I'd say it is unfair when a national newspaper uses an image that has math symbols, and the math symbols make no sense. It's non-sensical! It’s gibberish math.
The unfairness is planted in how it affects a young student's mind of math and themselves. Yes, a 12 year old, grade 7, would not read the article, but if a Globe and Mail was lying around at home, and they saw that picture in an instant … well, you have to understand the self-talk that would happen instantly. They’d think, that doesn't make sense, looks complicated and hard, and oh yeah it is hard, cause math is hard ... and that's why I find math hard ... And that one image would be another nail in the coffin to reinforce and 'remind' that math makes no sense.
And if you’re thinking well, Edison, a 12 yr old would never lay eyes on a Globe, my counter to that would be but their parents would. In education, a parent’s beliefs play a huge part in a child’s success in math – undermine the parent’s view of math and in turn, you affect the child’s self-view of their math. 'Don't worry son, math was hard for me too, it doesn't make sense and here' a picture in the Globe that's proof'.
One tiny picture would undermine a child's belief in their math! And yes it should not be that easy to knock a child off their math 'feet', but that's the reality that many math students live. It's an ongoing fight, and my job attests to that.
My point and question is this: can you as a journalist refrain from using images/pictures that are gibberish math, as they do not make sense? Yes, I know Pete Ryan was the illustrator for this, but someone had to authorize its use. If you’re going to throw up math on an illustration at least have it make sense. Or was the goal, to have the reader see the image and think, this looks complicated, and surmise yet again that, math is hard?
These pictures are a pet peeve and I wrote an article about this gibberish math in December and told my readers that I would reach out to journalists and aim to change the narrative. Appreciate your time on this.
Best in learning, Edison
Edison
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