After reading Amusing ourselves to Death by Neil Postman I realized how different our society has become due to television. Before the invention of the television, our society was based on the written language. People were dedicated, skillful readers because everything was expressed through writing. The attention span of Americans and the capability to understand long, complex discussions was also remarkable, because nowadays people can barely hold a decent conversation. The invention of the television changed society to where entertainment is the center of everything, even learning. Shows used to educate children are not for the sole purpose of teaching them, but to encourage them to continue watching, which promotes education as an entertainment source. Although television can be used to spread knowledge, its contents are becoming less and less serious and is lacking in importance, because everything is televised for the appeal of the viewers.
This book was not my favorite thing in the world to read, but it was an interesting read and has brought some perspective on how television has changed our society.
Angela, you are right about the book Amusing Ourselves to Death. It also opened my eyes to the reality of what television is doing to us. Because of the television, this allows the spreading of news and information super easy. This allows the spreading of irrelevant information, putting our country into a spiraling political discourse. It also is cutting our attention spans in half. We are almost incapable in watching a debate for four hours.
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