The Negative Impact Of Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves To Death

1010 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Effect of technology on society

In terms of money, I believe that it is important to deliberately plan out the uses for money and to have a large amount go towards savings. I believe that it is right to set aside 10% of one’s income to be an offering to God, pay for necessities, and to save the rest while allowing room for a few purchases for personal entertainment. In Personal Finance, a textbook written by E. Thomas Garman and Raymond Forgue one paragraph reads,
“This restraint [of consumption] is accomplished by putting money into savings for use in achieving future goals. Some savings re actually investments. By saving and investing, people are much more likely to have funds for future consumption. If you save for tomorrow, you will be happier today and tomorrow” (Personal …show more content…

Neil Postman’s argument in his work Amusing Ourselves to Death, is that technology has a negative impact on society. More specifically, Postman argues that oftentimes the most fundamental parts of our society are affected by technology, mainly the television. He writes, “Our politics, religion, news, athletics, education and commerce have been transformed into congenial adjuncts of show business, largely without protest or even much popular notice” (Amusing Ourselves to Death, 4). In this passage, Postman is suggesting that often times people become so used to technology’s influence on everyday life that they do not even notice While I do not completely agree with all of his argument, I think Postman is right in this case, because I personally know that I rarely analyze thing on television. More specifically, I believe that America’s ability to be book smart is going down the toilet. Generation Z is not being taught that books are an impactful way of getting ideas across to the masses; everyone is instead being taught that being able to use technology is the essential skill to have in today’s world. I maintain the opinion that if technology is used in moderation and the effects of overuse are clearly stated to users, I have no issue with

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Amusing Ourselves To Death By Neil Postman

    1134 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman is a piece that focuses on the effects that technology has on public discourse and politics. He believes that the development of the television has habituated us to constantly needing to be entertained, which changes the way we take in information. It is no longer the substance that we value but rather the entertainment value. An important point that Postman evaluates in chapter 9 is that politics has become similar to show business. With politicians paying more attention to their image than political issues the integrity of modern politics can only be questioned. To update Postman’s arguments, although the television has allowed political figures to present the image their audience wants to see the internet has allowed for all aspects of one’s life to be accessible, which changes the way we view their credibility.

    Read More

  • Capital Punishment: Costs Of The Death Penalty

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    We strive to make money, save money and when we spend money we do so with a

    Read More

  • Typography's Impact on Mind and Culture

    1515 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ong believes that some technologies act in the same way that old technologies do. For example, the calculator is an external resource for thinking similar to how writing is an external source for thinking. Moreover, Ong believes that new technologies as well as the old have a power that we are oblivious to. He states, “…writing is utterly invaluable and indeed essential for the realization of fuller, interior, human potentials. Technologies are not mere exterior aids but also interior transformations of consciousness, and never more than when they affect the word” (Ong 32). Technology has a great ability to manipulate the people using it, which can be a positive thing if it is properly interiorized. Instead of degrading human life, as Postman seems to believe, new technology can, on the contrary, enhance it. Postman explains that photography shattered context which lead to the decline of rationality in advertisement. The effect that this has on the public is that it also makes them irrational as well as seek and distribute information that is out of context, as Postman discusses in later chapters of his book. Even so, Ong believes, “The use of a technology can enrich the human psyche, enlarge human spirit, set it free, intensify its interior life” (Ong33). Although Postman seems to believe that writing does this in regards to public discourse but he would

    Read More

  • Essay On Fahrenheit 451 And Technology

    538 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bradbury emphasizes the risks that come with excessive overuse of technology. Bradbury demonstrates how the obsession with technology can influence people’s relationships with each other, ruining the society from the inside. People are obsessed with TV and technology and fail to pay attention

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Fair 1984 By George Orwell

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    Introduction Perhaps one of the best ways to capture the attention of an audience would be to tell them they are doing something wrong. This may cause the audience to become angry with the speaker, or, if done correctly, it may cause them to listen up a little more. Either of these options, anger or piquing of the interest, still captures the attention of the audience. This is exactly what Neil Postman did when he addressed the Frankfurt book fair in 1984.

    Read More

  • The Addiction Of Technology In John Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury argues that technology will take over the world with how he predicts; the parlor walls, the burning of books, and the types of people there are in society. In Fahrenheit 451, there are many ways that technology is portrayed as a bad addiction in society, for example, the addiction to the parlor walls. Society is so caught up on these parlor walls, it is a distraction and addiction from receiving the essential knowledge that they can get from reading books. Not only do the parlor walls take over their society, the books are getting burned which makes it harder for them to gain knowledge and, therefore, makes it easier for them to stay addicted to the parlor walls. The technology is so advanced that people are amazed and amused calling it “family”. They forget about the real knowledge of books and focus on the high-tech television that is

    Read More

  • The Causes Of Globalization During The Great Depression

    706 Words  | 2 Pages

    See frugality as a virtue. There 's a difference between being frugal and being cheap or stingy. A frugal person makes the most of what they have; a cheap person is just focused on not spending money. During the Great Depression, frugality was seen as a positive trait. During hard times, it 'll help you get by, but when things get better, maintaining those habits will help you build wealth. Plus, frugality requires planning, creativity, and critical thinking, all of which are important life skills, regardless of the state of the economy.

    Read More

  • Mind Over Mass Media By Steven Pinker Analysis

    274 Words  | 1 Pages

    “Mind over Mass Media,” written by Steven Pinker was definitely written for an audience that was already inclined to agree with him. The article discusses how some people view technology as bad, while others view it as actually helping and being essential to growth. Then Pinker also states that there are many limitations set on technology in both parties. “Accomplished people don’t bulk up their brains with intellectual calisthenics; they immerse themselves in their fields. Novelists read lots of novels, scientists read lots of science(Pinker 1031).” This quote was a prime example of exactly what Pinker was trying to say. He was trying to explain how the media is not

    Read More

  • Low Savings

    358 Words  | 1 Pages

    People do not save for the sake of saving. They save to spread consumption over their lives.

    Read More

  • Growing Up Digital Wired For Distraction Essay

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    Could you ever think of a world where all our time went into reading books, socializing, and helping the community instead of constantly being on technology devices? These devices have taken over the world we live in by not allowing us to create time to do these other activities besides constantly being on the internet. Although these technological devices help us in our everyday lives such as writing this paper, connecting with others, there are some negative attributes that technology can apply in life. According to CNN, teens spend 9 hours a day, on average, consuming media.

    Read More

  • Critical Reaction in the Film Digital Nation

    1140 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the film Digital Nation, I felt confused and thought it was unrealistic because I didn’t really think about technology that much to even believe that we could die from it. I thought it was unrealistic, because there are a lot of people that are addicted to the internet and as Americans we don’t know how to stop it. The intended audience is mostly parents because parents care more about their kids and how well they do. If you tell a child or a teen about how the internet is affecting you then they’re not going to believe you or just ignore you. I feel like the other audience is teens or young adults because parents use the internet just as much as children sometimes. In the film Digital Nations the announcer says, “But today, it's not just our kids. All of us are immersed in technology all the time” (Digital). Digital Technology is researching on how the world is not in tune with society as much as they are into their phones, computers, games, and even TV’s. The film’s purpose is to try and get the society back on to their feet by showing what’s going on with everyone and helping them slow down. Some people will listen, others will just ignore it. Honestly, I am kind of ignoring it, because we live in a society where we have the internet all around us and eventually we will get overwhelmed with new technology, but we will learn how to use it and just keep moving. I am going to slow down on how much I use the internet, but that’s not going to stop me when it’s a rainy day or when it’s super cold outside.

    Read More

  • Why I Want To Escape Small Town

    544 Words  | 2 Pages

    “I wanted to escape Small Town U.S.A. To dismiss the boundaries, to explore. My life experience came from watching movies, TV, and reading books and magazines. When your culture comes from watching TV everyday, you're bombarded with images of things that seem cool, places that seem interesting, people who have jobs and careers and opportunities” (Trent Reznor). The previous quote describes what television means to so many Americans. In a culture like ours, mostly every way we communicate is through cell phones, computers, tablets, and radios. One interesting way is the television. The following paragraphs describe the positive and negative effects of the technology known as television on our past and present.

    Read More

  • Why Students Should Be Paid To Attend School?

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many students in grade school don’t obtain money very often because they do not have a steady income, so they are prone to spend the money they get. For example, if a student gets money for a holiday, the first thing that comes to mind is to spend it on something they want because they are not used to having money. They don’t know the next time they will get more money so they don’t see the importance of saving. Since there would be a constant income a student will see the effect of saving because their amount of money would constantly be increasing which will motivate them to keep saving. If students learn how to save while they are younger they will be more successful in life, and they will also have that money to use when they graduate.

    Read More

  • Reflection: Time Management

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before learning about managing my money I thought there was no reason to save my money, and now I know that there are many different things to save for such as the following: paying for college, buying a car, going to the movies, etc. After learning how to manage my money I now have a weekly budget with my parents, and in the future I can use this skill by making not only myself but also my children have weekly budgets.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Budgeting

    772 Words  | 2 Pages

    Reflecting on the pathway of my financial affairs reminded me of a quote by David Ramsey, “A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.” As young adults we have the proclivity not to consider our futures but concentrate on living in the present. Being put in better words by Charles Jaffe, “It’s not your salary that makes you rich, it’s your spending habits.” Without accurate knowledge, the effects of not budgeting comes with the responsibilities of debt; then comes the stress and need for more money. Which the restitution ends up having us fall to a fate trying to find a resolution.

    Read More

More about The Negative Impact Of Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves To Death

Open Document