Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman Essay Example

figures that worry more about their appearance than their ideas and respect.Postman (1985) introduces his hypothesis by presenting the pure notion that the ideas any society expresses will be dictated by the forms in which it communicates them. He defines cultures as "conversation" metaphorically, as representing "all techniques and technologies that permit people of a particular culture to exchange messages" (p. 6).

Backing up his attestations, he gives several examples. Native Americans communicating long distances using smoke signals, they could likely not have had philosophical communication. The limitations of the form affect what can be realistically communicated.As another example President Taft was a fat man, one who would more than likely not be elected today because of his appearance. However, in a world without television he would be elected due to his intelligence and political arguments which held more clout than appearance.

Postman's (1985) most important example "the news of the day" could not exist without proper media to give it expression (p. 7). Even though corruption has always occurred amongst the human race, it was not as bearing on a person's everyday life ntil media made it possible for them to be communicated at a faster pace.In this chapter Postman explains how we have turned from the "Age of Typography" to the "Age of Television" and how the young require all communication to be in the form of entertainment (p. 8). He implies that our form of speaking works through "media- like without telling us anything. They limit and regulate what the world must be (p. 10). Postman (1985) then speaks about the clock and how it serves as a metaphor for the way we look at the

world, moments turning into other moments. The clock serves s a conversation man has with himself through technology.

Postman (1985) suggests writing "freezes speech" in an unalterable form, it allows for one man's thoughts to inspire a critical reaction, to create an ongoing conversation that only deepens the perspectives of the original thought (p. 12). Postman (1985) explains his digression as central to his purpose to show how "our own tribe is undergoing a vast and trembling shift from the magic of writing to the magic of electronics" (p. 13). He is saying that our technology and tools are serving as a type of mind control and we are n deep.

In Chapter 2 "Media as Epistemology Postman (1985) begins to tell us his plans for the book. Epistemology means the theory of knowledge, how we gain and use knowledge. Postman (1985) wants to clear his name of being a snob by insisting that his focus is on epistemology rather than aesthetics. He insists that he not only appreciates Junk, but also finds it harmless. He believes that television is at its best when it aims solely to entertain, but that it is at its worst and most dangerous when "its aspirations are high" (p. 16). Postman (1985) takes the time to explain what he eans by epistemology and the chapter title. He believes that every medium has resonance, for it is a metaphor with large scale implications. In. particular, a medium or technology of communication imposes itself on the way we understand and define truth. Postman (1985) speaks of truth as a bias for each culture and illustrates some of our own biases.

He does not mean to

suggest that all means of deriving truth are equal, but only means to show how our media is so crucial towards determining how we derive truth. And from that he wishes to show how television has led us to grow sillier by the minute" (24). Our culture conversations take place solely through image, and so do its limitations to carry truth limit our ability to communicate truth. Postman (1985) announces his intention to further explore the idea of intelligence in a print culture in following chapters.

He wishes to show how our ability to manage truth has declined as a result of the television age. "We are undergoing a vast and trembling shift from the magic of writing to the magic of electronics". Postman (1985) will further explain this is his chapters to come.