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Neil Postman amusing ourselves to death
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In the book Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Disclosure in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman, Neil argues television is altering human’s mind by desiring for enjoyment over justification. I agree with Neil’s claim that television changes human mind.
First of all, Neil points out how the television warping human desire. For example, Neil quoted, “The commercial asks us to believe that all problems are solvable, that they are solvable fast, and that they are solvable fast through the interventions of technology, techniques and chemistry. This is, of course, a preposterous theory about the roots of discontent, and would appear so to anyone hearing or reading it” (Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil, 130-131). Neil’s quote demonstrates how
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television commercial alter human brains by the use of absurd assumption that every issues can be solved immediately by the use of machinery, skills and captivation. Therefore, causing people to demand immediate actions. As I read Neil’s report on what television commercial is doing to our brain, I became frightened since I discovered how television is slowly changing our brains by favoring instant actions immediately. Second of all, reading Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Disclosure in the Age of Show Business made me think media play the role of democracy by implanting idea that consumers admit information broadcasted from television as the truth. For example, Neil quoted, “Among those lessons are that short and simple messages are preferable to long and complex ones; that drama is to be preferred over exposition; that being sold solutions is better than being confronted with questions about problems. Such beliefs would naturally have implications for our orientation to political disclosure; that is to say, we may begin to accept as normal certain assumptions about the political domain that either derive from or are amplified by the television commercial (Neil, 131)”. As I read Neil’s report on how people favor straight forward information over abstract information, I figured out the reason some of people are naïve about events occurring around the world, since people desired straight forward information as people began to watch news on television. Third, situation Neil predicted has gotten worse as the time progresses since major companies began influencing television network.
For instance, the online article “Television News: Are we Amusing Ourselves to Death?” by John W. Whitehead, John quoted, “Although the news items spoon-fed to you may have some value, they are primarily a commodity to gather an audience, which will in turn to be sold to advertisers. Most people, believing themselves to be in control of their media consumption, are not really bothered by this. But TV is a two-way attack: it not only delivers programming to your home, it also delivers you (the consumer) to a sponsor”. John’s report demonstrates how companies’ influence has negatively impacted television network by using commercial to gain attention from the viewers to keep consumers glued to the screen. Another form of corporate influence on news network is news network attempting to appease corporate sponsor by not resisting person with dynamism and domination. For example, the article “Democracy Now! Decolonising US News Media” by Kevin Howley, Kevin quoted, “Anxious to avoid antagonizing commercial interests or government news sources, journalists rarely challenge people in positions of power and authority for fear of losing access to “official sources.” Instead, working journalists play it safe by taking a less confrontational stance toward elites, pursuing instead the sensational, the titillating or the trivial news item. Thus, journalists create the illusion of conflict and controversy by covering relatively inconsequential “news items” like celebrity gossip, or the sexual misconduct of politicians, while studiously avoiding substantive public policy issues”. The quote written by Kevin represents how news reporters are forced to appease the sponsor by reporting on emotional news event over significant social issues in order to please the sponsor. As a result, audience only obtains information on minor news, preventing people
from being well informed about events occurring in other nations and within their country. Fourth, there are solutions to the issues of media bias in major news network. For instance, the online article “Regulating for an independent media: The problems of political and commercial bias” written by Matthew Ellman and Fabrizio Germano suggested prohibiting television commercials in civic television channel as a method to combat media bias by persuading rival channels to cut down on prejudice and replace corporate sponsorship with government funding in order to allow television network to remain neutral from the influence of corporations. The methods proposed by Matthew and Fabrizio demonstrates how converting to public television network as the strategy to weaken corporate influence by eliminating television advertisement. Thus, allowing television network freedom from appeasing to the power of corporate influence. Another solution to the challenge of media bias are citizens taking actions toward media bias. For one thing, the article “Call to Action: Smith Says American Citizens Solution to Media Bias” by Rep. Lamar Smith, Smith suggests people to call television network on biased news coverage and advocate for rigorous criteria for news reporters. Rep. Smith’s solution represents how citizen can resist against one sided news coverage by pressuring news network to have strict standard for reporters as the first step to having news report representing two clashing viewpoints on issues instead of one viewpoint only. Thus, allowing news network to broadcast unbiased information to the public due to improved standard for journalism. In conclusion, I agree with Neil’s claim that television warps human mind by rewiring human brain to favor recreation over abstract thinking. After doing research on what television could do to our brain, I decide to consider what the message of commercial is and accept the notion that information coming from news reported on television is not always correct since news is biased.
In “Reporting the News” by George C. Edwards III, Martin P. Wattenberg, and Robert L. Lineberry, the main idea is how the media determines what to air, where to get said stories that will air, how the media presents the news, and the medias effect on the general public. “Reporting The News” is a very strong and detailed article. The authors’ purpose is to inform the readers of what goes on in the news media. This can be inferred by the authors’ tone. The authors’ overall tone is critical of the topics that are covered. The tone can be determined by the authors’ strong use of transitions, specific examples, and phrases or words that indicate analysis. To summarize, first, the authors’ indicate that the media chooses its stories that will air
“The old argument that the networks and other ‘media elites’ have a liberal bias is so blatantly true that it’s hardly worth discussing anymore…No we don’t sit around in dark corners and plan strategies on how we’re going to slant the news. We don’t have to. It comes naturally to most reporters.” (Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News) This example is tremendously important in the author’s discussion because it proves that news stories do manipulate people through bias. Popular news networks are viewed by thousands of people every single day, thus making it have a huge impact on the public since they believe what they see. When news reporters present their news segments, it is natural for them to give their insights due to human nature being instinctively biased. “The news media is [sic] only objective if they report something you agree with… Then they’re objective. Otherwise they’re biased if you don’t agree, you know.” (CNN’s American Morning) In this quote, the readers are presented to current panelists agreeing that news consumers have a very hard time separating their own view of the news from the perspective of the news reporters because they are presenting their own opinions throughout their segments. This problem exists once again because of the bias that is contained in media
It is not uncommon to hear people complaining about what they hear on the news. Everyone knows it and the media themselves knows it as well. Some of the most renowned journalists have even covered the the media’s issues in detail. Biased news outlets have flooded everyday news. We find that journalism’s greatest problems lie in the media’s inability for unbiased reporting, the tendency to use the ignorance of their audience to create a story, and their struggles to maintain relevance.
Over the centuries, the media has played a significant role in the shaping of societies across the globe. This is especially true of developed nations where media access is readily available to the average citizen. The media has contributed to the creation of ideologies and ideals within a society. The media has such an effect on social life, that a simple as a news story has the power to shake a nation. Because of this, governments around the world have made it their duty to be active in the regulation and control of media access in their countries. The media however, has quickly become dominated by major mega companies who own numerous television, radio and movie companies both nationally and internationally. The aim of these companies is to generate revenue and in order to do this they create and air shows that cater to popular demand. In doing so, they sometimes compromise on the quality of their content. This is where public broadcasters come into perspective.
Television and the visual culture are “creating new conceptions of knowledge and how it is acquired” (p. 145). Neil Postman in his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death explains the effects of television and visual culture on the youth education curriculum. Postman believed it necessary to warn society of the consequences of living in a culture dominated by television. As for my opinion on this matter, I do not agree with Neil Postman’s statements in regards to television and our youth’s education. I believe it is not the crisis Neil Postman makes it out to be.
...d that television holds on us, Postman give two ideas. The first idea that he gives, he describes it as ridiculous to create programming that demonstrates how “television should be viewed by the people” (161).
In the world today watching television is so addictive that everything else looks unattractive. The author argues that television is not lethal as drugs and alcohol but it can have many effects such as children getting more violent and reality seem second best. Every person lives are filled with emotions including anxiety, depression, and stress so after long hard work day the best medicine is to turn the television on and not to worry about anything. For example, I usually drive from site to site to take care of business. So when I return home from work I will sit on my couch and turn the television on and flick the channel until I fall to sleep. As Marie Winn describes, "the television experience allows the participant to blot out the real world and e...
Would you lose your journalistic integrity over one million dollars just to increase your audience base? For me personally I would decline the money and not subject my audience to an unwanted change for personal gain. Neil Postman’s book, “Amusing Ourselves to Death”, argues that television is all about entertainment and nothing else. Postman makes several points in his book pertaining to televised news as examples. On the evening of January 31 2018, I decided to test Postman’s arguments by tuning into the PBS NewsHour. After putting Postman’s arguments to the test I soon found that they were correct; “if it bleeds it leads”, news anchors are just actors, stories of little value get little air time, and there is an overwhelming disconnect between stories.
Most people are emotionally and physically controlled in a virtual world. Today, us Americans probably watch up to 4.3 hours of television a day. Media analyst Neil Postman, has written a book criticizing television as a whole. In the book, Amusing Ourselves To Death, Neil Postman’s son reflected on his father’s book how “tv is turning all public life (education, religion, politics, journalism) into entertainment”. We look into this world as what we see on TV must be always true and letting it take over our daily lives. I will be bringing in quotes from Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves To Death on how this media is draining our minds can cause problems and where we can find a simple balance.
American pop culture has come a long way in the last few decades: from the rock 'n’ roll boom of the fifties, to the hippie aesthetic of the seventies, to the electronic age of the nineties. Pop culture clearly fluctuates at a rapid pace and even though fads have come and gone, one thing has remained viable even in more contemporary times: the TV set. On top of that, never has the world seen a greater peak in technology than it has in recent years, and the television is no exception. Unfortunately, as fascinating as these advancements may sound, it is generally presumed that the television—as with much modern pop culture tech—has had and continues to have detrimental effects on Western culture. Given that the TV has been a predominant force for the last sixty years, it’s safe to assume that most have heard the pervasive statement of how television "rots your brain.” By contrast, the benefits of this technology are rarely discussed and when the topic does arise, it seems to be hastily dismissed as “phooey.” Despite these labels, some would argue that television pop culture not only provides a form of recreational relaxation, but also has the potential to enhance cognitive capabilities.
Amusing Ourselves To Death by Neil Postman is written based on Postman’s opinion that television has impacted the level of public discourse in America in a negative way. Postman begins the story by talking about two significant books: 1984 by George Orwell and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. In this book, Postman plans to talk about how things in the world, inspired by television, have proved that our world is turning into the one he’s read about in the stories stated above.
In a Class Dismissed when the narrator says,” because we have seen television as just entertainment, we readily disregard its impact on our thinking”. When I heard that statement, I thought to myself that our perceptions of things are based upon what we see on TV, although I do view TV as entertainment as well. However, I never paid attention to how TV impacted my thoughts until viewing and reading in the material in this class. Because of some of the things that we studied and the familiar shows that we talked about I understand and noticed small things in TV shows and ad
While reading the book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, written by Neil Postman, it instantly brought to my attention the serious effect of the idea that television no longer serves as neither an educational nor political purpose, and it doesn’t give thorough information. Throughout his book, Postman dives into the effects that our country's shift from print based culture to a televised and video based culture has had on education, politics, and national news. What was once an age of reading and print based learning, has now been transformed into teaching from a television screen, using Sesame Street as a prime example. Parents loved this source because it “assuaged their guilt over the fact that they could not or would not restrict their children’s
The article “Why Americans Hate the Media” takes a look at how the media has taken their journalistic duties to another level that does not promote the ideas and questions that the American citizens whom the journalist report to are concerned about. The media has found a way to keep their ratings and the hype of politics alive by sensationalizing hot-bed issues. In the article “Why Americans Hate the Media” written by James Fallows it states that “Perhaps the public has good reason to think that the media’s self-aggrandizement gets in the way of solving the countries real problems” (Fallows) which leads to the fact that, although the media knows that they are skipping over the American citizens view and sending their own message, but somehow
Television shows have been a big part of our culture for several decades now. The progression on how these shows have affected our lives is something I’ve come to wonder about. Whether a good or bad thing, I personally don't go a day without some form of television interaction. The medias which we are able to access a tv series have become much more vast than the limitation of only a TV set. Many teens to young adults, including myself, stream series from tablets, pc’s and also cell phones now, which has completely changed the interaction standard, let alone what it is people take from the experience. People may not intentionally try to take something from watching 11 episodes of Gilmore Girls in one sitting, but it just comes to show how times