Amusing Ourselves to Death

     I recently read "Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business," a book by Neil Postman which is enlightening and almost prophetic. Originally published in 1985, it confronts the entertainment mindset of our culture, exposing how the switch from typography to images, written word to television, has eroded our public discourse.

     "In every tool we create," Postman wrote, "an idea is embedded that goes beyond the function of the thing itself."
   
     As a teenager in the twenty-first century, I see the damage which has come from those ideas. The entertainment mindset, and the triviality of our culture, have taken a giant leap forward with the computer, internet, and Smartphones. (Amusingly, Postman wrote that he considered the PC "a vastly overrated technology".)

     We carry in our pocket the tool to unlock more information than previous generations could have imagined. How do we use these miraculous devices? We talk in gibberish abbreviations, share cat memes, take goofy selfies, and play Angry Birds. Smartphones are amazing tools; the technology itself is no cause for alarm, but the state of its users is. "Amusing Ourselves to Death" tells us how we got there.
   
     With impressive research and insight, Postman reveals the way that our culture has been on a downward spiral ever since our culture's chosen medium for news and public discourse became the television. There is nothing inherently wrong with watching television for entertainment, but when everything is entertainment, the culture sets itself up for disaster. News and politics were once serious matters, but now they are framed as entertainment. They are a race of flashy images and amusement, seeking to hold the ever-decreasing attention spans of the average American. Why do you think that people consider education and religion to be so boring? It is because they have been trained since birth to look on everything as entertainment. If it does not meet their requirements for amusement, they are not interested.

     Once upon a time, presidents were elected based on their leadership abilities, ideals, and the way they could express their opinions. Now, presidents are based on their celebrity status, how they look and act on TV. Everything revolves around image, presentation, and entertainment.
   
     Also, note the ever-decreasing intelligence of the average American. When all depended on literacy, the verbal and written word were prized. You did not have to be wealthy and highly educated in order to communicate with depth and clarity. Common farmers and their families, Postman argued, sat through and enjoyed political debates which lasted for hours, while The Gettysburg Address would be largely incomprehensible to a modern audience.
   
     In the present day, we Americans think highly of our intelligence and progress. Those common farmers could never have dreamed for the technological and scientific advantages we take for granted. We pack lots of information into our brains, go to sophisticated colleges and get fancy degrees, and pride ourselves on how far this country has progressed in education. Even so, we can barely get through the old classics, complaining of dull and verbose writing. The same books were wildly popular pleasure reading in a less "educated" society!
   
     Postman argued that just because we have more information does not mean we are smarter. By way of our news outlets, we are informed about things happening all around the globe. We know about these things, but what is the use of being informed if it does not lead us to meaningful action? For most people, news shows are just a diversion. The culture can only devolve when everything- even our news shows- are nothing but mindless entertainment.