Neil Postman's Critique of Technology's Impact

Technopoly Neil Postman Summary
Author Neil Postman's main argument in his book "Technopoly: A Surrender of Culture to Technology" is not between humanists and scientists but
between technology and people. In today's society technology has become accepted as a friend, a helper, something needed. Postman argues that "the
uncontrolled growth of technology destroys the vital sources of our humanity. It creates a culture without a moral foundation. It undermines certain
mental processes and social relations that make human life worth living Postman XII)." Technology according to Postman, creates a culture with no
moral foundation, a culture that undermines certain mental processes and social relations that make human life interactive. Technology is a friend but,
it can also be...show more content...
This makes it difficult to argue with him because what are you really arguing? Postman believes that by technology giving us instant information it is
forcing out culture to suffer from information glut, taking the meaning and control out of information; "information has become a form of garbage, not
only incapable of answering the most fundamental human questions but barely useful in providing coherent direction to the solution of even mundane
problems (Postman 69)." Postman explains how society got to this point in his stages of information revolution, starting with the printing press,
expansion of schools, however, he does so in a very black and white manner. "There were several reasons for the rapid growth of the common school,
but none was more obvious than that it was a necessary response to the anxieties and confusion aroused by information on the loose (Postman 62)." As
seen here he does not really back up his points. In his second stage of information
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In his essay, "Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change," Neil Postman brings up a plethora of ideas on the topic of our
ever–changing landscape in the technological world, discussing at length the problems of technology and culture. In his first point, Postman states that
"technology giveth, and technology taketh away" (Postman, 27). His argument insists that in a culture swept up in technology, humans do not stop and
ask questions regarding the possible detriments of new inventions. He continues on to say that though technology favours some individuals, it may
harm others, or neglect a group of people entirely. In spite of this, humans continue to use and expand upon technologies as they emerge. Next, the
author discusses how

Pros And Cons Of New Technology By Neil Postman
In the article, Neil Postman addressed the big five ideas that are a bit of against technological change and concerned about new technologies in the
new millennium. All of his ideas were compelling and impressive with convincing examples and explanations. Out of his five great ideas, the most
interesting one that I enjoyed reading was the second idea. He discussed that new technologies bring both the advantages and disadvantages, and also
lead people being either winners or losers. I totally agree with his opinion because I feel like this time is the time we experience lots of technological
changes, and there are lots of different opinions on that. Obviously, more technologies give us comfort, convenience and easiness. On the other hand,
however,

Neil Postman's Essay The News
"The whole problem with news on television comes down to this all the words uttered in an hour of news coverage could be printed on one page of a
newspaper". The average news cast is only twenty–two minutes long,and that's not nearly enough time to cover the days events.In Neil Postman's essay
"The News" Postman talks about the structure,content,and goals and results of a television news cast. The news can be compared to the theatres in terms
of its structure. According to Postman, "Music takes us immediately into the realm of the symbolic, a world that is not to be taken literally."
Every news broadcast begins with music and progresses, just like any narrative. There are characters, a setting, rising actions,a climax and a resolution.
These

Neil Postman Knowledge
Knowledge has come about through many different forms throughout history and has constantly changed along with the times. To equate media to
epistemology is to say how media relates to how we understand knowledge. In this chapter, Neil Postman discusses how modern media has
created an epistemological shift and whether it has affected us for better or for worse. Postman argues that this shift has altered the structure of
discourse no differently than how every new medium before it has always done. The way we perceive truth has consistently changed along with a
new change in medium as truth can be different things to different people in different time periods. Postman discusses how law used to be
conducted orally as there was no written law so rhetoric and proverbs had to be used in order for justice to be done (18). Now there is so much written
law as every trial is recorded and there is endless precedents that can be looked up in...show more content...
That isn't to say that the spoken word is useless, but, as Postman says, "The written word endures, the spoken word disappears; and that is why writing
is closer to the truth than speaking" (21). The written word endures greater than the spoken word because it is well thought out, cannot be changed
once it is written down, and it reveals the truth through means that can't often be reached through verbal communication. Before the written word
poems and rhetoric were of greater importance than they were after as knowing things off the top of one's head meant that person was of greater
intelligence. This is different to modern times where there is no reason to memorize things as everything important is already written down and can,
for the most part, be found at a moment's notice. I think that Postman is trying to convey that knowledge is greater benefitted by the written word
rather than the spoken

In Neil Postman's book Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985), Postman argues that the information shared with the American populace is shaped by the
forms of media that are used. By giving a history of the changing types of American media and the effect that each has on the information given,
Postman supports his claim. Postman's purpose is to prove that media changes the information given to the public in order to call awareness to the
validity of our news. Postman writes to an audience who is educated by media and was raised through knowledge shared by media. Postman states that
the main point to Amusing Ourselves to Death is about how, "Our metaphors create the content of our culture" (Postman 15). A metaphor is something
that describes...show more content...
The effect of this was that nothing could be simply looking at, but had to be looked over to find the fact. With the invention of the telegraph, a large
change came over the American culture. Because of the increased speed of news, more news was sent out. This created an influx of irrelevant news
and the American people were forced to try to figure out what news was important and which was worthless. With the influx, the idea of knowing
something became not actually knowing the background, but just knowing the headline. The biggest change to American culture came from television.
Television is viewed as a factual source; however, "television...is devoted entirely to supplying its audience with entertainment" (Postman 87). The
addition of television changed culture because it a major source of so–called facts was just a disguise for entertainment. The effect of this is that
people's information becomes a source of entertainment and the entertainment is taken as fact. The changing forms of media and information creates a
culture that the perceived truth becomes the same as entertainment and there is a lack of ability to see the difference between the two. Neil Postman
wrote this book 32 years ago, yet the sentiments are the same. Postman's arguments have grow to become more relevant in the years since the book's
original release. Postman's belief that, "Our politics, religion, news,

Neil Postman Metaphor
Neil Postman was an author, critic, and humanist who was born in New York City in 1931. He lived his life with the views that "new technology
can never substitute for human values". He went on to pass away in Queens New York from lung cancer in 2003. Postman was a modern day critic
of the overwhelming growth in technology. He even questioned the need for electric windows in cars, stating his hands worked just fine, he was not
paralyzed. According to Postman a metaphor is something that enables us to understand the world around us by changing the perception we have of
something. He states "metaphors classify the world around us, sequence it, frame it, enlarge it, reduce it, color it, argue a case for what the world is
like." A

Neil Postman 's Assertions And Today 's Society
Christina Contreras
Mr. Limon
ERWC
01 March 2017 Neil Postman's Assertions and Today's Society: Huxley's Brave New World could be considered almost prophetic by many people
today. It is alarmingly obvious how modern society is eerily similar to Huxley's novel with the constant demand for instant gratification encouraging
laziness, greed, and entitlement. Neil Postman, a contemporary social critic, seems to have noticed this similarity, as he has made bold, valid
statements regarding the text and its relevance to our world today. This response is strongly in support of those statements and will prove both their
accuracy in clarifying Huxley's intentions and how Postman's assertions compare to society today. One of Postman's assertions...show more content...
It comes as a justified fear considering everyone is coaxed into using social media by companies making it overall more convenient to do everything
online. Not only does this lead to laziness––which is terrible for physical health––but selfishness in that what is most important is how the consumer
fairs, not others. In the novel, Linda sleeps with the husbands of other women in an effort to achieve sexual stimulation. As a result, women "[began]
hitting her with a whip...and each time Linda screamed" (134). Chasing what she loved led to a negative outcome. Kyle Smith, author of the article "
Brave New World(is Here!)", explains how a world prioritizing nothing but pleasure is nowhere near the heaven people imagine. He explains how
"...a happyland free of intimate bonds and arduous challenges is actually a dystopia". Basically, and more familiarly, too much of anything is not a
good thing, and that includes pleasure. Lastly, at one point John tries to defend morals like being chaste. He is rebuked by Mustapha Mond, who says,
"...[chastity, passion, and neurasthenia]...lead to instability...and [thus] the end of civilization" (239). As he begins whipping himself in an act of
self–discipline, he is encouraged to continue by a crowd of desensitized people saying, "Do the whipping stunt. Let's see [it]" (257). These quotes
support

Amusing Ourselves To Death By Neil Postman
Postman: Rant or Reason?
In his novel, "Amusing Ourselves to Death", author Neil Postman describes to the reader, in detail, the immediate and future dangers of television. The
arguement starts out in a logical manner, explaining first the differences between today's media–driven society, and yesterday's "typographic America".
Postman goes on to discuss in the second half of his book the effects of today's media, politics on television, religion on television, and finally televised
educational programs. All, he says, are making a detrimental imprint on our society, its values, and its standards. Postman explains that the media
consists of "fragment[s] of news" (100), and politics are merely a fashion show. Although Postman's arguments...show more content...
Each one flings bring colors at us for 45 seconds before the subject switches to a new topic. A society raised on such a format simply cannot endure
lengthy debates or speeches. They seem neither exciting nor entertaining to us. Postman also explains that in response to this switch in desired format,
politicians and presidents have adjusted their means of communication as well. "It is hard to imagine the present occupant of the White House being
capable of constructing such clauses in similar circumstances." (Postman addressing a very lengthy and inticrate live rebuttal made by Lincoln in
response to one of Douglas' statements, 46) Today's politicians know that in order to reach audiences, their statements need to be "short and sweet".
Unfortunately this sort of information shortening is not the only weakness which plagues television's functionality as a means of communication.
To sum up Postman's views about news media on television, one can simply call it "a joke". The "now this" format of news media works in an
identical fashion to the previously described commercials. "Viewers are rarely required to carry over any thought or feeling from one parcel of time to
another." (100) Here again, Postman is right on the money when he describes the shortcomings of today's television news. The news show begins with
exciting music and professional–looking visuals which set the mood for the show. One can't help but feel a boost of importance. It is as though the

Amusing Ourselves To Death Neil Postman Analysis
Being interested in learning has always been important in education, but it can be seen that technology has changed the way students want to learn. As
technology has advanced it's become more integrated with school curriculum across America. Neil Postman, a popular scholar, had a doctorates degree
in education and spent most of his life devoted to rethinking school curriculum. He is the author of, "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in
an Age of Show Business", he argues thattelevision has completely changed the way people, mostly children, want to learn and the ways television has
effected how they are taught Throughout the excerpt, Postman discusses this topic using various children shows while also, citing reputable sources
...show more content...
Children will conclude that everything from politics, to religion, or news must be presented to them in an exaggerated and entertaining way. As said,
children learn to only love television for the entertainment it provides and begin to find classrooms without edutainment to be a "stale and flat
environment." Giving students the amount of entertainment they want allows them to learn without having any prior knowledge, no challenges, and
no exposition. These essential components for the learning process having been replaced by entertainment. Television has completely interfered with
school curriculum, therefore transforming it. As educators and teachers began to promote programs such as Sesame Street or The Voyage of the Mimi,
more and more of the curriculum being taught was changed to satisfy what children were taught to want in their classroom environments. Postman
observed how, "Teachers, from primary grades through college, are increasing the visual simulation in their lessons; are reducing the amount of
exposition their students must cope with; are relying less on reading and writing assignments; and are reluctantly concluding that the principal means
by which student interest may be engaged is entertainment." Through this information it is obvious that the standards to which students have to
perform has been lowered, television being a contributing

Postman (1987) claims that television is an evil that destroys the purpose and complexities of public discourse. He argues that important issues are
oversimplified and drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Chaffee and Metzger (2001) confirm this assumption by remarking the evolution of print and radio
into television and television into new media. Establishing the similarities between Postman's chief complaints about the television medium and the
new media then rearing its ugly head. Chaffee and Metzger indicate the shift in the denotations of mass, media, and communication. With technological
advancements, it is impossible to ignore the new media and its impact on modern culture.
When analyzing these articles, one must first consider the dates of publication. In relation to the present, Postman was writing pre–internet and Chaffee
and Metzger were worried about what high–speed would do to dial–up. Both articles had keen insight into the future, but failed to anticipate the birth
and widespread nature of smartphones and artificial intelligence technologies. Their criticisms might address deindividuation, the digital divide, or
tailored information based on Big Data rather than entertainment versus enlightenment. The setting of...show more content...
This implies the loss of diversity and confirms, as Postman feared, that the new wave of information distribution is detrimental to public discourse.
Cultivation Theory relies on consumers' unrealistic expectations for reality based on how media portrays reality. Chaffee and Metzger addressed
cultivation theory by expressing concern for the blurred boundaries between mass and interpersonal communications. Access to social media allows for
a democratic exchange while providing a smoke–screen of anonymity. The widespread nature of posting online imitates mass media, but the intent
behind the message differs with each

There is no single set of beliefs about children; childhood is a social and cultural construct. Social constructionism is concerned with ideas about
children, not facts about them. Indeed, many social constructionists would deny the existence of any universal facts about children (Woodhead and
Montgomery 2003:46). Ideas about children change because they are dependent on their social, cultural and historical context. The ideas held
concerning children have consequences, they affect the way children are treated and thought about (James and James 2008:122). Postman (1994)
believes that childhood in its' current conception is 'disappearing.' The following text will critically discuss Postman's (1994) theory, principally it will
consider...show more content...
Postman (1994) recognises that childhood as we know it is an idea not a fact, he states,
"When I speak about the disappearance of childhood, I am speaking about the disappearance of an idea."
(Postman 1994:52)
During the years 1850–1950 childhood began to take shape as the model we recognise as childhood currently. Children were removed from factories
and put into schools, children's clothing, furniture, literature and games were developed; law also changed to recognise childhood. The stereotypical
family also developed during this period (Postman 1994:67). Childhood became a birthright, due to theories such as, Piaget's (1896–1980) theory of
cognitive development childhood came to defined as a biological state as well as psychological (Postman 1994:67). Postman (1994:74/75) argues that
childhood became obsolete at the same time that it was perceived as a permanent fixture, 1950. He choose this time as it coincides with the rise of
television; as he believes it is through television that the divide between adulthood and childhood can be seen most clearly.
Postman (1994:75) argues, it is television as we know it that is causing childhood to 'disappear'. He believes there are several reasons to support this
notion, most importantly, is the idea of accessibility to adult information. Prior to television only fully literate adults had access to this information.
People watch

Analysis Of The Postman
Next is Antonio Skarmeta. He was the author of the novel The Postman. He published many novels, plays and stories, and created a text with
Neruda as a character. Allende's rise and fall is the historical background and he tells the story of the son of a fisherman, Mario Jimenez, who loves
poetry and Neruda's poems. The story tells Mario Jimenez, a fictional postman, who befriends the real life poet Pablo Neruda. The story begins in
1969, in the little village of Isla Negra, off the coast of Chile. The Postman was published in 1985. In 1970, Salvador Allende was the world's first
democrat and Marxist president. He progressed the extensive program of nationalization and radical social reform. He reigned only for three years and
was...show more content...
Next is Roberto Bolano, a homosexual writer and photographer. He was born in Chile in 1955 but moved to Mexico with his family at the age of
15. He dropped out of school and decided he would be a poet. In 1973, he was inspired by Salvador Allende's victory in Chile, so he decided to
return to Chile. He ended up arrested and imprisoned for several days, and released only because two guards remembered him as a former
schoolmate and sneaked him out. Then he only stayed in Chile for a few months and left Chile for the rest of his life. He made his home in
Mexico, Spain and Europe. His work is inseparable between the relationship of life and literature. He intertwines the danger of life and literature.
For example, in the story of "Mauricio ("The Eye") Silva, "Mauricio Silva, also known as "The Eye," always tried to avoid violence, even at the
risk of being considered a coward, but violence, real violence, is unaboidable..." (106); and the story ended with saying that "The Eye" was so upset
and weeping uncontrollably. The "Eye" probably signifies someone who "sees" things in life. Throughout the story, it depicts Mauricio going through
a lot trials and tribulation. He witnesses and observes sufferings everywhere he trods, from Chile to Mexico to India to the brothel and Berlin.
Injustice and violence seem to be twisted in all direction and at every turn. For instance, on a trip to India The Eye rescued two young boys,

Neil Postman
Throughout the span of the past few weeks I have traversed the globe, visiting several countries and regions, only to realize that although new methods
develop, language as a way of expressing ones self has remained the most effective. Despite this fact, language still has its pitfalls. Neil Postman, in his
essay “Defending Against the Indefensible,” outlines seven concepts that can be used to aid a student in better understanding the
language as a means of communication. He describes how modern teaching methods leave a student vulnerable to the “prejudices of their
elders”, further stating that a good teacher must always be skeptical. He urges teachers of all subjects to break free from traditional teachings as
...show more content...
Postman argues that if a student were to see hidden meaning in a word, then they could use it to their defense. It is my belief that Postman may be
correct now, what about in the future. If attention were turned to smaller words, then surely our vocabulary will diminish, and the same thing that
happened to words such as true, and false, will happen to words such as semantic, and pedagogical. Vocabulary tests should be left as they are. If a
student wishes to study words of everyday use, read a book, or watch television. The next principle was thought provoking as well. The use of a
metaphor as a tool in education is rarely used, as Postman notes. “Unless our students are aware of how metaphors shape arguments, organize
perceptions, and control feelings, their understanding is severely limited. Postman displays how most political speeches are laced with metaphors,
and how teacher’s methods are shaped by a metaphor. A student who doesn’t understand a metaphor, or when it is being applied tends
to have a more closed outlook. A metaphor, used as a communication skill, is best described in a political way. Think of Reagan’s Voodoo
economics, or Bill Clinton building a bridge to the 21st century. Politicians can easily scam an ignorant voter, should one not understand a metaphor.
For example: Clinton refers to building a bridge, but does not tell us with which tools he

In Neil Postman's short essay, "Social Science as Moral Theology," he describes the social sciences, such as sociology and psychology, not as
sciences, but rather as "moral theology" and as "storytelling." The authors of the textbook Sociology the Essentials would dispute these claims by
arguing that social scientists are doing science with their work. In the third chapter labeled, "Doing Sociological Research" there is a section called
"The Tools of Sociological Research" that goes into detail of all the different ways sociologists can gather research. The first method the textbook
brings up is surveys. The textbook describes this method as being a way to reach a larger number participants, and is used to see patterns and
relationships among

Neil Postman Essay
Throughout the span of the past few weeks I have traversed the globe, visiting several countries and regions, only to realize that although new methods
develop, language as a way of expressing ones self has remained the most effective. Despite this fact, language still has its pitfalls. Neil Postman, in his
essay &#8220;Defending Against the Indefensible,'; outlines seven concepts that can be used to aid a student in better understanding the language
as a means of communication. He describes how modern teaching methods leave a student vulnerable to the &#8220;prejudices of their elders';,
further stating that a good teacher must always be skeptical. He urges teachers of all subjects to break free from traditional teachings as...show more
content...
How you phrase a question makes all the difference in the world. A query asked in two separate ways can result in two completely different answers.
&#8220;A question is the most important tool we have'; states Postman. Take scientists for example. Their entire career is based on asking
questions, stating a hypothesis, and furthermore, answering them by conducting experiments.
Postman calls for the art of question asking to be infused with the current school curriculum, because to often students do not ask questions. When a
student arrives at school on the first day they often notice many changes. Although welcome, these changes sometimes make a student wonder why he
or she was not asked if they would prefer them. This is the perfect example of how one phrases a question wrong. Although a student might voice their
opinion by saying, &#8220;I would like a better school'; they don&#8217;t imply in which way they would like to achieve that.
Although it was a noteworthy concept, I found it to have many flaws. Postman believes that this concept be put on high priority. He never examines
how teachers are to teach this radical way of thinking. There are other factors in a student&#8217;s high school career, and his ideas are not the
only ones that need to be considered.
Yet again I find that Postman&#8217;s third concept is

Neil Postman's Analysis
In the passage, Neil Postman argues that Huxley's vision of contemporary society is more relevant to current events in society than Orwell's is. Huxley
believes, that as a society, humans choose to utilize technology to the maximum in place of their extraordinary human capabilities such as free–thinking
and critical thinking. One could relate Huxley's ideas to current events in history, such as how excessive internet usage affects learning, what today's
youth focuses on in technology, and how the creation of television and social media have influenced the world in a major way, to demonstrate the
accuracy of Huxley's vision. One can describe how the excessive usage of the internet has greatly affected the way that humans learn, which...show
more content...
For example, the television programs offered today are filled with less educational value and distract from the concepts children should be learning at
a young age in order to be successful in the future. In the past, television programs such as "Disney Channel" and "Nickelodeon" have developed
programs that taught society beneficial concepts and ideas that children could utilize in the future to improve themselves and learn from their mistakes.
However, they are now able to recognize that those shows do not appeal to this generation of children's tastes; this has caused the producers to televise
shows that represent unnecessary topics and the utmost unintelligence. In addition, social media distracts from real life, and focuses on the
unimportant values society that are irrelevant to an individual's intelligence. One objective many "social media fanatics" focus on are the amount of
'likes' or 'retweets' that an individual is able to obtain. Social media influences society to value insignificant topics, such as unreasonable humor, sexual
innuendos, and a plethora of unethical behavior and language. All in all, television programs and social media have had an extreme impact on the way
children learn, due to the fact that they can turn a well–kept society into a trivial group of

Summary Essay of "Amusing Ourselves to Death"
This is a breakdown of Neil Postman's "Amusing ourselves to death"(1985), which must be written to explain the effects that high volume of emails,
text messages, video games, and internet television has on the human race and the way we think. In the first chapter of the book "The Medium is the
Metaphor" Postman (1985) begins his argument that he presents through out the book. Postman (1985) explains how knowledge is no longer gained
from print, but from visual. This change is dramatic and irreversibly and the two print and visual can not accommodate one another. In chapter 2
Postman (1985) lays out a plan for the book. Postman (1985) rants and raves about how television is evil and has...show more content...
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 until 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–metaphors" which do not tell us what the world is like, but instead tells us what it is 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 as a conversation man has

As time progresses technology increases and improves. However, this progression could pose as a serious problem for generations to come, and New
York University department chair of communication arts Neil Postman expresses this concern in his 1992 book, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture
to Technology. In the opening of Postman's book he expresses thattechnology is indeed our friend because technology provides our society with fast
and easy convenience and accessibility. As with most other things, there are always two sides to everything and Postman notes, that "of course, there
is a dark side to this friend" referring to technology (Postman, 1992). Many people do not address the negative sides to technology and just turn a blind
eye...show more content...
In Postman's book he states that in societies that are technocracies like our society currently is, technology and tradition co–exist "in uneasy tension"
(Postman, 1992). This is a result of technologies competing with cultural traditions. Many people believe that technology is one of the greatest
components to life; Postman rightly believes that technology is destroying our society because it is making us lazy, we lack control over technology,
and we believe anything that comes from technology. Postman argues that technology specifically computers are redefining our society's knowledge,
vocabulary, and culture, specifically making us lazy. Inventions like thecomputer have resulted in our society needed to be a direct link between the
information and us. The information from computers appears indiscriminately and directed at one on specifically, in huge volumes and fast speed.
Computers are taking away the need for personal interaction of having a face–to–face conservation with someone and sharing information. According
to Wiener and Mohr, when we use computers "we persist in believing that what we need to solve the pressing problems of the world is with more
information, a notion Postman finds ridiculous" (Wiener & Mohr, 1994). As a society we are becoming lazy and are no longer using our own
knowledge to solve problems that were once traditional done by other methods; therefore, we are simply relying on the means of the computer to
provide things for us even

Neil Postman's Critique of Technology's Impact

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Neil Postman's Critique of Technology's Impact