I believe if it is properly channelled and communicated in the way people understand it

I would not assign such importance to visual media for the development of human civilization! Major role!?

Maybe you should be interested in the following article about the issue: 

How the Media Mold the World?

"Television, movies and the Internet are having an effect on mankind that would have been unimaginable even a century ago. The media—print and electronic—shape our lives and our minds in ways that most fail to realize, and with sobering effects!

Television, radio, movies, the Internet and print extend their influence upon our culture, our behavior and our brains! What is behind the powerful force of modern media?

We are witnessing a major cultural revolution that is having an incredible impact on our society. Yet, despite numerous warnings, few seem to understand what is really going on or where this surging wave of social change is taking us!..."

http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/magazines/2003/january-february/how-the-media-mold-the-world

There is the proverb, "Seeing is believing." Thus, visual media would be quite useful for the general persons to understand new findings obtained by scientists or new concepts provided by literal people, contributing the development of human civilization.

There is a proverb that says "A picture has the value of one thowsand words". This is an argument in favour of visual media.

There is a proverb that says "A picture has the value of one thowsand words". This is an argument in favour of visual media.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

"The role of media in developing literacies and cultural techniques

Barbara Gentikow

Abstract:

Not only new media demand new skills and contribute to cultural and social changes. The main purpose of this article is to present two theoretical approaches which look at how both traditional and new media (print, electronic and digital media) can function in terms of contributing to the development of (new) literacies and (new) cultural techniques. It is an ambitious project, trying to combine two relatively different theoretical approaches, each of considerable complexity. 

Please, see the link for detail...

https://www.idunn.no/dk/2007/02/the_role_of_media_in_developing_literaciesand_cultural_techniques

Visual media, in my opinion, are important because they offer a concrete and material vision of the reality. THis is very important for a lot of people that are not able to associate the meanings of the words to concrete refferences.

Visual media can play an important role for the development of human civilization provided ethical values are followed.

How visual media can play a major role for the development of human civilization?

Think visual media (i.e. painting, photo, film, TV, video etc.) is playing a paramount important role in recording human civilization especially providing vivid insight to future generations so that they can have better understanding on what had happened before their time.  To future generations the visual media also will serve as valuable artifacts for them to perform their future research as a means to continue the development of human civilization.  Can you imagine how wonderful it will be if we can "video recorded" what had happened during ancient times so that we can have better understanding & appreciation of our human civilization.  Since now we have such advance technologies in video recording with higher resolution, think we should produce & generate more visual media for the benefits of future generations.

Our important messages to be effective through media must reach many people at a time. Visual media is a need for self-confidence, stability, reassurance. Visual media play an important role by telecast cultural values, play stories with strong historical background.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of senior marketing executives say visual assets (photos, video, illustrations, and infographics) are core to how their brand story is communicated, according to a recent report from the CMO Council and Libris.

The report was based on data from a survey of 177 North America-based senior marketers (52% from B2B companies, 18% from B2C companies, 30% B2B-B2C hybrid). One-fourth of respondents work for organizations with more than $1 billion in annual revenue.

Infographics are viewed as being extremely important to current marketing and storytelling strategies, with 57% of respondents saying they are critical; 46% of respondents say photography is critical, and 36% say video is critical.

http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2015/28333/the-current-and-future-role-of-visual-media-in-marketing

Ivo, eu concordo consigo, sobretudo no facto de "the isual media can inform, illustrate, advertise, but not change or develop lasting structures as civilizations understood as those long-term processes of human domestication and organization of different landscapes." Thank you for your opinion!! Obrigada.

Dear Colleagues,

Good Day,

"Create your own visual style... let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others."                                                                                                                                                          ----  Orson Welles

As visual effects are long lasting so visual media works will also effects more to the society. So there social creativity will play a big role in human development, 

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi4xdrcg4HMAhVlvIMKHfrCCZ4QFggbMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uni-miskolc.hu%2F~aitmag%2Fcontest08%2Fvisualmedia.htm&usg=AFQjCNGXl_JJO2vxgCWYUQ3JYyAVEIozxg&bvm=bv.119028448,d.amc

http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/10254/

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwi4xdrcg4HMAhVlvIMKHfrCCZ4QFgghMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fd-scholarship.pitt.edu%2F10254%2F1%2Fnoro%2Cpaul%2Cs12%3A23%3A2009.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGVsdrLJNVBBklTbStL_0t4WLClGw&bvm=bv.119028448,d.amc