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BOOK REVIEW 2
In his book, Postman seeks to his thesis Television has ruined Public discourse among
contemporary Americans. In his view, he posits that people have embraced technology in media,
impeding their capacities to think. To set us off, he introduces two past prophesies recorded by
two dystopian writers, namely, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley. In 1984, Orwell foresaw an
externally imposed oppression. He predicted that the government would overreach people's right
to information. The state would deny people avenues to learning the truths, which were a crucial
part of their lives. Orwell further feared that the state would ban books hence holding people
captive. However, Huxley held a contrary position. According to Huxley's novel, Brave New
World, he posits that people would love their oppression by embracing technology, which would
destroy their capacity to think. Unlike Orwell, Huxley held that no one would ban books;
however, people dislike reading books. He pointed out that an inflicted pleasure would destroy
people. They would expose themselves to so much, making them passive and ego-seekers.
Between the two dark visions, Postman believes that Huxley, and not Orwell was right.
He takes on investigating media to prove his position (Postman & Postman, 2014). In the first
chapter, the author evaluates the ‘media-metaphor.' The section argues that discourse in
civilization is dependent on the media platform employed. As such, print media speaks to the
world differently, compared to oral media. The media concept is further drawn in the second
chapter, 'Media as Epistemology.' Postman argues that a society's perception of the truth is
dependent on the type of media. For instance, oral culture would pass truths as sayings and
proverbs. People would then memorize the ideas, to pass them orally to succeeding generations.
Print media, on the other hand, passes information in publications and print form. Information is
BOOK REVIEW 3
thus held permanently in prints. In this chapter, he illustrates that television has immensely
development of American literacy culture since the nation’s inception. According to him,
Americans were largely literate population during the colonial period (Postman & Postman,
2014). At the time, the written and spoken word presented rational discourses. As such, people
would read them and judge for themselves whatever was right or wrong. However, the
introduction of photographs and telegrams presented instantaneous information, which was not
limited to geographical location. Hence, information was taken without regard to their context.
The second part of the book, chapters six to ten, presents an in-depth exposition of television
media. In the sixth chapter, Postman notes that entertainment has taken precedence of the
message and the content; thus, people are more intrigued by the entertainment, rather than the
Seven's title is a common phrase taken from television news programs. In this chapter, he posits
that television presents information in a disconnected manner denying the viewers the chance to
spectacle, without the power to accord transformative religious experience (Postman & Postman,
2014). The ninth chapter basis television media on politics and elections, comparing political
campaigns appear as business commercials. As such, politicians paint abstract presentations and
images of what the public wants. As a result, voters end up electing individuals based on the
perception created by the media. Chapter ten illustrates the downside of television as a teaching
medium. Postman states that teaching kids to use television will not make them love what they
BOOK REVIEW 4
teach (Postman & Postman, 2014). In his view, television is biased, and we should strive to
Having established Postman's position, this essay agrees with his view. Considering the
wide range of aspects addressed, including education, religion, politics, and business, the
contemporary world is indifferent. Given an era of heavy business commercials, television has
been an effective tool for shaping people's opinions. Politicians are increasingly using the media
violence and irresponsible sexual behavior. The effects are directly proportional to the level of
exposure. Therefore, the images they see become their reality (Freedman, 2017). Research
indicates that an average child sees approximately 12,000 acts of violence, such as rape and
murder. The violence displayed on television screens makes them susceptible to vices. Also, a lot
of time is lost to television programs, affecting other aspects of their lives, such as reading,
playing, interacting with peers, and developing other skills. Owing to this, children lack
wholesome development, as they become copy-cuts of what they view on the screens. Therefore,
Another aspect of television is the use of fake news. During the presidential campaign in
America in the year 2016, false stories were circulated about President Donald Trump. While
dissecting this allegation, Matthew Gentzkow, an economist from Stanford University, pointed
out that the news was meant to shape public opinion (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017). In his
research, he created what he termed as Placebo news; about 12% responded in the affirmative.
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Gentzkow, therefore, concluded that a large number of citizens had watched the fake news.
According to the study, fake news significantly influenced voters' decisions in the ballot. Hence,
we can affirm that many people form an opinion and change their perception based on what they
view on television. This proposition further advances Postman's view of his book. It, therefore,
concurs with his idea that people are influenced by inflicted indulging rather than what is
imposed on them. Thus, we further agree with Huxley, that exposure to biased information
Another justification for this position is the effect of television and mass media on
youth's attitude in society. Television exposure affects teenagers' identities based on specific
models through emulation, varying from news anchors to celebrities to media personalities.
Consequently, young people end up adopting and exhibiting irresponsible social behavior.
Additionally, the increase in the number of television commercials influences people's health and
wellness. There has been a rise in the number of obese youths in America today due to
advertisements for junk foods displayed on television screens (Wilks, 2009). Some of the adverts
are eye-catching and appealing. In the long run, the youth adopt lousy health habits, leading to
obesity and lifestyle disease. Postman indicates that instant attractive flashes have replaced
‘Typographic America’ (Postman & Postman, 2014). Many youths would not investigate the
information that they watch, but end up believing in them. Thus, this essay takes a position
Conclusion
This essay has presented several points justifying Postman's arguments. From the book,
it is evident that the quest for instant gratification and entertainment has substituted the real
BOOK REVIEW 6
search for truth. The effects have been adverse as shown in televised Islamic teachings and
religion in general. In Islam, Sharia laws implies that the means to a duty and regulation should
share a perception of integrity in the ends met (Raquib,2015). Therefore, the use of technology
according to Raquib (2015) should address issues within the contemporary society in adherence
to ethical truths. In the book, the author asserts the impact of televised media in the society based
television media in spreading their preaching, need not be swayed into providing untruth
messages in the name of preaching. The society should, therefore, strive to overcome the bias
brought about by television media. We should heed the Huxleyan warning, which we should not
References
Allcott, H., & Gentzkow, M. (2017). Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election.
Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.
Freedman, J. (2017). Media Violence and its Effect on Aggression: Assessing the Scientific
Evidence.
Postman, A., & Postman, N. (2014). Amusing ourselves to death: Public discourse in the age of
Other Press.