Home / Quotes / Quote by Neil Postman

Quote by Neil Postman

“If we may say that the Age of Andrew Jackson took political life out of the hands of aristocrats and turned it over to the masses, then we may say, with equal justification, that the Age of Television has taken politics away from the adult mind altogether.”

Quote by Neil Postman

Author

Neil Postman (March 8, 1931 - October 5, 2003) was an American cultural critic, educator, and author. Known for his profound insights into the relationship between media, technology, and culture, Postman's work has had a significant impact on modern society. more

You May Also Like

“The idea of taking what people call the 'entertainment culture' as a focus of study, including historical perspective, is not a bad idea.”

People Ideas Culture Study Focus Perspective Historical Including Entertainment Bad Ideas Historical Perspective

Author:Neil Postman

“Cyberspace' is a metaphorical idea which is supposed to be the space where your consciousness is located when you're using computer technology on the Internet, for example, and I'm not entirely sure it's such a useful term, but I think that's what most people mean by it.”

People Thinking Mean Ideas Term Space Consciousness Technology Example Internet Computer Supposed To Be Metaphorical Cyberspace Computer Technology

Author:Neil Postman

“I am not a Luddite. I am suspicious of technology. I am perfectly aware of its benefits, but I also try to pay attention to some of the negative effects.”

Trying Pay Attention Technology Effects Benefits Negative Pay Attention Suspicious

Author:Neil Postman

“I don't think any of us can do much about the rapid growth of new technology. A new technology helps to fuel the economy, and any discussion of slowing its growth has to take account of economic consequences. However, it is possible for us to learn how to control our own uses of technology.”

Thinking Helping Use Growth Can Do Technology Economy Economic Consequence Accounts Discussion Fuel Rapids New Technology Slowing Rapid Growth Use Of Technology

Author:Neil Postman

“In Russia, writers with serious grievances are arrested, while in America they are merely featured on television talk shows, where all that is arrested is their development.”

Shows America Television Serious Development Russia Arrested Grievance Talk Shows

Book:Conscientious Objections: Stirring Up Trouble About Language, Technology and Education

Source: Conscientious Objections: Stirring Up Trouble About Language, Technology and Education

“It is not entirely true that a TV producer or reporter has complete control over the contents of programs. The interests and inclinations of the audience have as much to do with the what is on television as do the ideas of the producer and reporter.”

Ideas Interest Audience Television Tvs Program Producers Reporters Inclination

Author:Neil Postman

“Our priests and presidents, our surgeons and lawyers, our educators and newscasters need worry less about satisfying the demands of their discipline than the demands of good showmanship.”

Needs President Worry Discipline Demand Lawyer Priests Satisfying Surgeons Educator Showmanship Worry Less

Book:Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

Source: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

“The problem in the 19th century with information was that we lived in a culture of information scarcity, and so humanity addressed that problem beginning with photography and telegraphy and the - in the 1840s. We tried to solve the problem of overcoming the limitations of space, time, and form.”

Problem Form Humanity Culture Space Century Information Photography Overcoming Solve Limitation 19th Century Scarcity Space Time

Author:Neil Postman

“TV serves us most usefully when presenting junk-entertainment; it serves us most ill when it co-opts serious modes of discourse - news, politics, science, education, commerce, religion.”

Serious Tvs News Ill Entertainment Commerce Discourse Junk Presenting Science Education

Book:Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

Source: Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business

“When two human beings get together, they're co-present, there is built into it a certain responsibility we have for each other, and when people are co-present in family relationships and other relationships, that responsibility is there. You can't just turn off a person. On the Internet, you can.”

People Humans Persons Two Together Certain Turns Human Beings Responsibility Internet Built Get Together Turn Off Family Relationship

Author:Neil Postman