In this chapter, Postman asserts that television does in fact provide education, yet it educates in deception and entertainment perpetuating a dependency on the entertaining nature of TV. While Postman concedes that TV can teach facts and concepts, it lacks the social atmosphere of a classroom which inhibits education in critical thinking and conversation. I believe digital education has come a long way since Postman analyzed it. Today, there are so many resources apart from TV when it comes to nontraditional learning. The use of Youtube, Khan Academy, and Zoom are some of the primary educational resources individuals use today. I agree with Postman that digital learning lacks a “social” component but with the use of the comment section on youtube videos or live streams that all but solves the issue of not being able to ask questions. Personally, I prefer traditional classroom learning to digital learning, but many of my colleagues choose to take most if not all of their courses online. I believe that in today’s age digital learning is comparable to traditional learning, yet Postman probably still wouldn’t agree with that statement.

In this chapter, paragraphs that I felt were compelling were:

 “Because the television commercial is the single most… instant therapy” (Postman 94). 

“Czesław Miłosz, winner of the 1980 Nobel Prize… know everything about the last twenty four hours but very little of the last sixty centuries” (Postman 99).

In this chapter, Postman examines how television has mutated religion. Specifically, he scrutinizes televangelists’ blend of religion and entertainment. I thought Postman’s assertion was extremely valid. Televangelists are motivated by ratings and viewership so they tailor their suromons towards optimizing those factors rather than religious values. Postman’s fear is that religion will turn into brainless and inane entertainment which I believe is an exaggeration. But, you can certainly see the effects of TV culture on religion.

Whose Streets raises many questions about socioeconomic issues facing America today. The film serves as an unfiltered lens of the black lives matter movement which focuses on police brutality in America. I believe the film conveys the need for institutional change in the way governments and police departments approach conflicts of race and justice. The film highlights how individuals are willing to put themselves in considerable risk in the fight to end racism forcing viewers to reflect on how our system has failed people of color.

In this chapter, Postman asserts that television culture has made media shallow and insignificant as it promotes appearance and entertainment over quality content. I found Postman’s stance on credibility particularly thought provoking: “Credibility here does not refer to the past record… It refers only to the impression of sincerity, authenticity, vulnerability or attractiveness (choose one or more) conveyed by the actor/reporter” (Postman 73). I believe that Postman’s view is valid. It’s apparent that the overwhelming majority of TV news anchors are attractive. Whether subconsciously or consciously, there is likely some part of human nature that causes you to trust people considered attractive. The role of an anchor is not only to communicate the news but present themselves in a way which is pleasant to viewers. However, just because someone is attractive does not necessarily mean they are qualified to be a journalist. Yet due to the entertainment culture of television, attractiveness is often more important than credibility. Meaning you can be factual wrong and spread misinformation so long as you look good doing it.

In this chapter, Postman asserts that television has directly attacked literary culture, and television has traded logic and analytical thinking for entertainment. One part of the chapter that I found particularly insightful was when Postman uses televised courtroom trials to further his argument. He states “a rape trial was televised, to the delight of audiences who could barely tell the difference between the trial and their favorite mid-day soap opera” (Postman 69). I find this point to be striking because it seems absurd that an act as gruesome as rape would be griping television. Courtroom television shows such as Judge Judy are some of the longest running and successful shows on television. Yet, the nature of court trials seem bland and boring. However, directors have found ways to dramatize such proceedings making them appear like a “soap-opera”. When in reality, they are very real events and are deeply personal and consequential to the parties involved. 

Attention part 3 brought up interesting points. The idea that attention is a commodity rather than an experience sparked my attention. Comparing attention to a commodity such as wheat or corn seems nonsensical. However, the more I thought about it the more connections I saw between the two. For starters, all commodities consist of finite amounts. Are attention spans are no different. Because we have so many things vying for our attention, there is a limited amount we can invest in each specific thing. The expansion of tech has made our attention span more valuable and profitable than ever. 

In this chapter, Postman describes the methodical death of print culture. Postman states “For telegraphy did something that Morse did not forsee” (Postman 48). In Postman’s view, the telegraph did two things. It made content and news easily accessible and cut down geographical barriers. This caused society to know a little about a lot. Essentially, information became so abundant that its deeper meaning was lost and consumption became surface level. Additionally, Postman notes the invention of photography as another assailant in the death of print culture. Photography lacked context and limited understanding. Yet, one picture began replacing paragraphs of texts and explanations in newspapers across America. Postman asserts that these factors and others gave birth to oversaturation of media existing today.

I agree with Postman in this chapter. He makes a convincing argument for the death of print culture. The phenomenon that news is a mile wide and an inch deep is an accurate description of the current media landscape. I thought it was particularly interesting how he pointed out that most news has absolutely no effect on us yet we are exposed to it. Society is exposed to so much news on a daily basis when in reality none of it is significant to the majority.

I was particularly captivated by Amishi Jah’s statement that despite wanting to be focused and attentive the mind tends to wander. Although it may be harmless, she mentions the critical mistake it would be if it happens to a military leader during a briefing or a judge during testimony. This idea is interesting because it shows that the mind has control of us and not the other way around.

How does the current media landscape complement Postman’s assertions in this chapter?

In this chapter, Postman describes the methodical death of print culture. He starts with the telegraph. In Postman’s view, the telegraph did two things. It made content and news easily accessible and cut down geographical barriers. This caused society to know a little about a lot. Essentially, information became so abundant that its deeper meaning was lost and consumption became surface level. Additionally, Postman notes the invention of photography as another assailant in the death of print culture. Photography lacked context and limited understanding. Yet, one picture began replacing paragraphs of texts and explanations in newspapers across America. Postman asserts that these factors and others gave birth to oversaturation of media existing today.

I agree with Postman in this chapter. He makes a convincing argument for the death of print culture. The phenomenon that news is a mile wide and an inch deep is an accurate description of the current media landscape. I thought it was particularly interesting how he pointed out that most news has absolutely no effect on us yet we are exposed to it. Society is exposed to so much news on a daily basis when in reality none of it is significant to the majority.

How does the current media landscape complement Postman’s assertions in this chapter?

In this chapter, Postman attacks modern society’s lack of comprehension pertaining to complex arguments and word choice. In addition, he points out how the contemporary attention span is shrinking which he attributes to the “Age of Show Business”. Postman expands on his appeal of significant loss of intelligence by comparing the Lincoln Douglas debates which were characterized by intricate rational arguments to modern political debates in which politicians are  hesitant to use calculated high level word choice. Postman notes that this is a consequence of television culture. Essentially, he says that television has dulled our level of comprehension and attention span.

I believe postman makes a valid argument in this chapter. It is clear that in the past complex arguments and diction were used more frequently and understood by the public. Nowadays, people mostly rely on one line headlines to gain knowledge of an event. It is a shame to think society is gradually getting unintelligent, yet it is a tradeoff of our modern media landscape. It is critical to the progress of humanity that we reverse this phenomenon. 

In this chapter Postman rewinds to the seventeenth century to convey changes in America’s literacy. He uses Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense as an example in the dramatically different way americans consumed literature. Postman states that Paine sold about 100,000 copies of his pamphlet which is comparable to 24 million copies today. Postman acknowledges these staggering numbers as america’s decline in not only literacy but ability to think critically. Postman notes that print did have a monopoly in those days as it was the only way to exchange ideas, however he still sees the seventeenth century as the golden age for literacy. 

I do not agree with Postman in this chapter. His ideology that America is less literate today than over three hundred years ago is a little far fetched. Postman picks and chooses evidence to make his assertion. Although many affluent whites could read at the time, significant percentages of African and Native Americans were illiterate. Print media was the only way news and ideas could be distributed then so it is unsurprising that Common Sense garnered such circulation.