To what extent is the book ‘Amusing Ourselves To Death’ by Neil Postman relevant today? Be specific. Give details and examples. As William James rightly said, “Man can alter his life by altering his thinking” (James). Our lives are shaped by the way we think which, in turn, is highly influenced by the things we do. Hence, I would attribute most of my shy and quirky behavior to my involvement in technology from a very young age. Though the various mediums of communication persist, the dominant medium changes with generations and this medium influence our ways of thinking. As a result, it changes our habits, our perceptions and our lifestyle as a whole. The arguments made by Postman in his book in 1985, ‘Amusing Ourselves To Death’, are mostly persuasive. However, taking into account the advancement in technology and the cultural differences since, there has been a tremendous change in the culture that some aspects may not apply today.

In the nineteenth century, around 12,000 people watched a seven-hour debate between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas (Neely). “These were people who regarded such events as essential to their social lives, and who were quite accustomed to extended oratorical performances” (Postman 44). It is impossible to imagine anybody in the modern world doing anything for seven hours. The attention spans of humans have drastically descended since. Although, in the most modest sense, I am a gaming addict, I believe I lack the patience to game for that long. This emphasizes Postman’s view, as gaming is one of the main forms of entertainment today. Events like the debate have an educational value and were perceived as a socializing platform too. The invention of phones and the rise of social networking platforms in the Internet have redefined ‘socialization’ and barely any sense of community exists now.

Much before the sundial was invented, men could approximately tell time from what they knew about the sunlight and the different seasons through the year. Nowadays, we look at a watch “merely to see what time it is” (Postman 11). What we don’t realize is that this small machine that was ultimately built by humans controls us. Postman uses the analogy of the watch to explain what he means by ‘media-metaphor’ that he repeatedly uses throughout his book. He believes that these metaphors enforce a new idea upon us; in this case the watch creates the idea of “moment to moment” (Postman 11). Rather than it telling us something directly, it defines it. The watch was simply created to make our lives easier. It is this same reason why we watch the television as opposed to reading about our topics of interest. This has made the human race not only lazy but also less informed due to the inherent bias of the television. To emphasize the consequences of this, Postman compares the decline of the era of typography, which was once the dominant medium of communication, and the rise in the gain of information visually.

Today, even television programs are adapting to the fast paced world. Postman is worried about how much substantial information the viewers gain when a news anchor who barely touches upon a wide range of topics. One minute the news broadcasts riots concerning the laws of the United States and the next is about celebrity gossip. As Postman believes, “One can hardly overestimate the damage that such juxtapositions do to your sense of the world as a serious place” (Postman 105). It’s as though the viewers know almost everything happening around the world and yet know nothing. Neither do the reports go into any details of any particular news nor is there any coherence among the different topics that are briefly presented to the viewers. Hence, no significance is given to serious worldly matters nor is there any time for viewers to reflect upon what’s presented. Postman uses the apt title of “Now… This” (Postman 99) to this chapter of his book to highlight how the news these days are just small snippets of everything.

However, the relevance of this view of the advancement in technology can be questioned keeping in mind the availability of information through the computer and the Internet in the modern world. The news channels might present pieces of news of widely differing topics so as to reach out to viewers with varying interests. Once exposed to a topic of interest, the viewer can possibly look it up online and retrieve the complete story. The irony here is that it is the technological advancement that Postman detests in many ways that allows the viewers to do so. There could be bias involved in the Internet as well, but with the infinite number of sources available one can certainly find information from both sides of a story and then it is up to the viewer to take a stance. If we use technology to our advantage, it is, in fact, a more flexible way of attaining knowledge. Whatever medium of communication pleases us, the Internet has it covered.

“Most of our daily news is inert, consisting of information that gives us something to talk about but cannot lead to any meaningful action” (Postman 68). Here, Postman talks about news from across the world regarding murders, celebrity gossip, etc. Some of this news might instill fear in us. It might be true that we cannot physically go there and do something about it. But typically, the news also tells you what action you should take when something of that sort happens in your area, which is good information to know. On the other hand, due to the live broadcasting on the television we know that people all over the United States are protesting against the Zimmerman verdict. It creates awareness among people and the White House is alarmed to react. This contradicts Postman’s statement that the television has impacted people so much that they don’t perceive the “world as a serious place” (Postman 105). Nevertheless, it is that very medium of communication that drives these riots. As a result, the viewers grow as a community and strive to build a better world to live in.

Never do we find an advertisement that is not visually enhanced and gives a modest description of what the product or service really is. One might argue that what appeals to the eye is what attracts the attention of viewers and hence advertisers use this technique. This claim is acceptable but it is because we have built up such a perception. With constant exposure to mediums such as the television and the Internet we have been visually stimulated right from childhood. Postman states, “An American who has reached the age of forty will have seen well over one million television commercials in his or her lifetime” (Postman 126). However cynical a person may be, his thoughts ought to be influenced by such media. Advertisements create an atmosphere appealing to the eyes, behind which there is a deeper psychological motive.

All these changes in habits hinder our intentions of preserving our cultures. Upon reflecting on this book, I feel guilty as most of my reading time is taken away by the television and games. Nonetheless, we need technology to keep ourselves updated with worldly matters. On the other hand, if I were to isolate myself from technology and live by the traditional mode of communication of speech, I would achieve a stable state of mind. Ultimately, it is the ability to speak what defines ‘humanity’.

Bibliography
James, William. Wikiquote. Wikimedia Foundation, 2013. Web. 27 Jun. 2013.
Neely, Mark E. Jr. The Abraham Lincoln Encyclopedia. New York: Da Capo Press,
1982. Print.
Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves To Death. New York: Penguin Group, 2006. Print.