In both the book, Amusing Ourselves To Death, and his speech author Neil Postman talks about the negative effects technology is having on society. He says that humans readily adapt to changes brought on by technology, sometimes without even knowing it. In his book, Postman uses the invention of the clock as an example of how technology changed society. Before time was measured with a device people based their schedules off of the Sun and Moon. Now as clocks have made time a quantifiable measure people try to fit as much into one day as possible. In his speech Postman also highlighted that cloning is an attempt by humans to control what has previously been left up to God. This change of events put people in control from one calculated point to the next, not God controlling moment to moment. This belief has contributed to reduced belief in God and an increase in man’s ability to control nature.
Neil Postman also reveals through his book and interview that while intentions may be pure the results are often lacking. In the book he discusses news people and how they present their information to television. More anchors focus on their own appearance rather than how the day’s news can best be presented. The media has increasingly placed a greater emphasis on display rather than ideology in the news. Once again the example of cloning is used to illustrate Postman’s point. While the intent is to provide a repair body to aid a person in reality it undermines the gift of life. If man can create life from scratch then there is no need for a supreme being or god.
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