Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to death:

Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

The age of television began in the 1950's when the majority of Americans were finally able to have power brought directly to their houses and have a television set installed. Television, as is discussed in the book by Neil Postman, is not something that, by virtue of the technology, has a specific use or destination in the American life (83), but it does have a central place because of its use as a medium. Postman makes several arguments about how the medium is used, and how it has changed how people think and act. He also makes the case that this may not be the best course for Americans because it takes away their ability to have a true public discourse. In this paper, Chapter Six, in which Postman talks about television as a medium in...
[ View Full Essay]