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Worker and Parasite

Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

Oct 6, 2023
The podcast discusses the book 'Amusing Ourselves to Death' by Neil Postman, exploring the influence of television on society and the degradation of critical thinking. It also delves into the transition from print to internet, the impact of technology on education and religion, and the history of the Crystal Cathedral in California.
56:58

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Neil Postman argues that the transition from print to TV media has led to a society that values entertainment over reason and transformed public discourse into a form of show business.
  • The medium of TV is not suitable for deep learning or conveying complex ideas effectively, leading to a superficial understanding and an inability to engage in critical thinking.

Deep dives

The influence of television on society's way of thinking

In the podcast episode, the hosts discuss the book 'Amusing Ourselves to Death' by Neil Postman, which explores the impact of television and media on society. Postman argues that TV and media heavily influence the way people think, shaping their understanding of what is possible and acceptable. He explains how the transition from print to TV media has led to a society that values entertainment over reason and has transformed public discourse into a form of show business. The hosts discuss how this framing helps understand the performative nature of modern politics and the challenges it poses for education and religion.

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