Neil Postman Amusing Ourselves To Death Summary

Postman’s Writing Skills on Technology over American Society Three decades ago, an author foretold of a country that was slowly rotting away in front of televisions. Neil Postman wrote Amusing Ourselves to Death in order to bring forth public attention that technology, especially television, has become the focal point of information in today’s society. With so much influence over citizens of the United States, Postman sadly informed his audience that people are becoming overwhelmed with technology. With his analysis on what was happening in that period of time, Postman wrote the final chapter from his book, in order to reprimand others about how television is preoccupying them from other activities. By doing this, Postman utilizes a distinctive

The enriched vocabulary, such as “equally impenetrable” or “spiritual devastation” convince the audience how culture can be “shriveled” in two ways. One is focused on an “irreplaceable” gated area where “countenance exudes suspicion and hate,” and the other is more focused on how “cultural life is redefined as” perpetual. Postman is showing how Orwell’s way of society is far more despotic than Huxley’s, since it is more focused on prison life than it is to democracy. He wants to show how people are spending more time on television in a dramatic way by stating how “technology is always a friend to culture.” He convinces his audience that technology changes the habits of others to the point of using it more for entertainment than for professional purposes. He also gives passion on how cars have defined American life like how a scientist could “introduce speed-of-light transmission of images and you make a cultural revolution.” He means that anything relating to science and technology can make an impact on society. However, the automobile brings more than just transportation, causing environmental concerns. He uses these types of examples to help his audience feel more comfortable in what he is inferring