"Amusing Ourselves to Death"

Paper Summary:

The paper critically examines Postman's argument in "Amusing Ourselves to Death" that television is very bad for the cultivation of a thoughtful, rational public that can actually think on its own. The paper posits that, while a well-written text with many good ideas, it is also marred by over-zealousness and by a longing for the past that too often ignores how modern-day technology can actually benefit children whose style of learning may not be well-suited for the "traditional" pedagogical approach.

Outline:
Introduction
Synopsis of the book
Analysis
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Postman begins his book by arguing that, in an increasingly commercialized and visual society, people are now shaped by the strength of their artifice (their appearance) and not by the strength of their ideas (7). The medium that was dominating America in the 1980s - and is even more dominant today, more than 20 years after Postman penned his work - is now a visual, visceral one involving images and iconography instead of words (9). Simply put, our culture no longer privileges the written word but privileges fleeting, evanescent images that come to us through (in most instances) the medium of television."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. New York: Elisabeth Sifton Books.

More papers on "Amusing Ourselves to Death":

• Book Review # 107913 : "Amusing Ourselves to Death"
• Book Review # 84377 : "'Amusing Ourselves to Death'"
• Book Review # 29920 : "Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death"

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