Analysis of Niel Postman's "Amusing ourselves to death" )Only the first five chapters!).

William Contro Contro 1 Professor Logsdon Critical Thinking 10/17/03 The Medium is the Metaphor In Neil Postman's book, "Amusing Ourselves to Death," Postman begins with the argument that the medium is the metaphor. By this, he means that mediums such as the printing press or television have a strong direct influence on our society. Surprisingly, I completely agree with this statement. Not only do these mediums effect how we communicate, but they also have an impact on …

…by creating a literate society which formed ideas through serious reasoning. Unfortunately, in the twenty first century, our new mediums are becoming a problem as typography is quickly declining and we head towards the age of television. This negative effect may be irreversible as new mediums are becoming better and more attractive. America's public discourse is inevitably spiraling down into a huge joke. Works Cited Postman, Niel. Amusing Ourselves to Death. New York: Penguin Books, 1985.