Leah Johnson

Amazing Ourselves to Death chpt 1-9 These first chapters challenged me to think how do you escape from the entertainment of new media and different technologies that are constantly at our fingertips. The impersonal aspects of writing have become too addictive in our culture. I personally find my expression of oral speech to be most personal and I am able to communicate effectively how I need to. Can we separate the entertainment from time to be serious? As a culture we do not realize the differences in the way we communicate because of our consumption in technology. Postman likes to focus on these differences and how it affects us today. As Strate mentions in these first chapters its about finding a balance between all these many forms of communication, which our society lacks. What’s real and whats not real? To me it seems like that is a major issue within the world of media and technology. Because of our consumption in it, we end up believing everything we read and hear in the media, instead of trying to dig deeper into what the media says. We even have become obsessed with becoming trying to become the media, where our content and video uploads become gospel. We rather indulge in the media rather than worry about the realities we have to face in our own lives. In the chapter “Breaking News,” I was not surprised to see the different intersections of bias within this field as it exist everywhere in daily activities. From the appearances of the news casters to the way they talk all these things matter within broadcast news, rather than the actual news. This stems from the medias portrayal of societal norms and expectations, so our world becomes all about appearances and materialistic things. Most often we forget about the true issues at hand.

Part Two, chapters 5-9

Part two of Amazing Ourselves to Death seems to have the underlying factor of Information within the content of each of the chapter.  This part of the book starts off with chapter five “breaking news” which discusses the Decline of Network News. The chapter discusses the development of other news sources with the advancement of technology and its effect on television News shows in general.  After taking a course in Production for TV News last semester, I’ve learned that one of the most important factors in watching television news is realizing that it is a news “show.” This realization suggests that we understand what goes into the creation of television news cast, what is controlled by the corporation, and what is being done to stay alive in a society that must be kept “entertained.” At the end of the chapter Strate states that “As, citizens, we need to have access to enough information to understand our situation, but not so much as to make it impossible to arrive at an accurate assessment.” He continues by expressing that “We are dependent on our media environment to make all this possible, which suggests that we need to find a way to alter our media environment, and bring it in line with the needs of a democratic society.”  This statement leads perfectly into the next chapter “The Tribe has Spoken” which discusses media in regards to politics and democracy.  From the discussion of reality television such as survivor and American idol to the effect that the development of media and technology has had on political campaigns and elections, this chapter encompasses yet again how the transportation of information affects society.  Chapter seven “Neon Gods” moves into religion and its role in media. In my eyes this again features an underlying factor of information. The difference in terms of religion is that it encompasses an information aspect and spiritual aspects. The spiritual side of religion is almost impossible to experience through a medium such as television. Although you may be able to listen to a sermon or watch a show about religious historical events, the spiritual connection cannot be delivered. This also relates to the fact that these mediums call for a different consciousness then that of a place or time of spirituality.

Amazing ourselves to death. chapters 1 - 4

People like Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman were the visionaries who really thought ahead of time about the impending effects of electronic media on the society and human psyche. Postman says that there is a time for amusement and a time to be serious, and as our media and technology have expanded our ability to amuse ourselves, we have lost our ability to distinguish between the two, blurring the boundaries in favor of amusement. As a consequence, we find ourselves suffering from too much of  a good thing. (pg. 4). I couldn't agree any less to this statement. Everybody, today is a victim of the new new media and is completely unaware of the way it has hijacked our lives and minds. Leaving aside the negatives, there are actually a very few who use new new media such as social media for some positive serious knowledge discourse. Coming to the impersonal nature of writing (pg. 15), I would like to say that not all writing can be considered impersonal. It is a very subjective statement. I definitely agree with the fact that what a person rights is a lot of times derived from his own experiences and encounters and hence its personal to him but not to the person who is trying to read it. He can't necessarily feel the latent emotions in the words used. However, a form of writing that is academic in nature, pertaining to a particular area/field can become personal for all those who belong to that particular area/field. In other words, if u agree to the text and the teachings of a particular writer, does one not become become personal towards that writing?

It was interesting to learn so many interesting facts about Neil Postman in chapter 2. Another important concept mentioned in the book is that of 'Technopoly'. Using the example of telegraph, the author explains how information overload overwhelms our capacity to process it, evaluate it, or otherwise make sense of it. (pg. 76). This is so true and relevant in today's time because we find satisfaction in technology. We take orders from technology in the sense that even though we are in the  'interactive media' phase, our life is so much controlled and dependent on these media that it has become almost impossible to survive/stay sane without their aid/use. The amount of time we lose during a day in cyberspace speaks volumes of how handicapped we feel without them. I believe that democracy born out of print culture and a reverence for the word has managed to survive in the electronic era and is still surviving today to an extent, if not wholly.

Neil Postman interview -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRabb6_Gr2Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHd31L6XPEQ

Amazing Ourselves to Death, Chapters 1-4

The first few chapters of amazing ourselves to Death touch upon a variety of topics. The first chapter "Fatal Amusements" , which I will discuss later on, seems to act as an introduction to the overall subject of part one. Chapter two "Building a Bridge to Neil Postman" focuses on truly giving the reader a sense of understanding as to who Neil Postman was. As Strate explains in the first few paragraphs of this chapter, "It is not unusual for readers to gain an inaccurate impression of what an author is like from reading his book." By touching on certain aspects of Postman’s life, we are able to get a better understanding of the point of view he had and a realization of where his experience and knowledge might have come from. Although I have study much of Postman’s work in previous classes, almost everything I read of Postman’s life in this chapter was new knowledge to me. The chapter did exactly what I understand it was meant to do, allowing for a better analysis of Postman’s. What stood out the most to me in this chapter was the discussion of religion, specifically Judaism. The emphasis on Postman’s upbringing in regards to language and culture plays a large role in his development as a person from early childhood up to his years as a scholar. Despite the fact that Postman was not extremely religious, the Jewish traditions and his heritage played a huge role in who Postman was as an Individual. This information may not be as relevant when reading the works of a Biologist or a Mathematician perhaps, but it seems to be extremely relevant in a case such as this. The chapter continues with the development into Postman’s later years as a scholar and introduces the term of "Media Ecology" which is spoken about throughout the book. Just as Media Ecology is an open system, being that the environment acts as a huge factor, the window into Postman’s life expressed in chapter two acts as an environmental factor that has influenced and impacts Postman’s work. Chapter three "Media Ecology As a Scholarly Activity" discusses exactly what the title states, Media Ecology. This chapter goes more into detail about Media Ecology itself, as to better understand its references towards the subject throughout the book. The things that stood out to me the most in this chapter where the fact that Media Ecology has no distinct point along with the reference Strate makes to the Ten Commandments of Moses. I also found the information on understanding the multitude of environments within Media Ecology interesting.

Going back to chapter one "Fatal Amusements" Strate discusses the idea that there is a time for amusement and a time to be serious. He expresses how that distinction is being lost and that the blurry line is leaning more towards amusement, losing the critical aspect of seriousness. Chapter four " The Evolving American Media Environment" discusses the evolution of media and its effects on society. I feel that much of the information found in chapter one can be related to that found in chapter four. As we learn in chapter one, language influences the way we think. Language is just one of the main aspects that has been manipulated and evolved through the development discussed in chapter four.

 

Amazing Ourselves to Death (Chapters 5-9)

In the book, Amazing Ourselves to Death, Prof. Strate discusses “Breaking the News.” I never realized how much sexism, racism, appearance, etc. comes into play when casting news anchors. For example, when Dan Rather had resigned, Katie Couric took over for CBS’s evening news program. Even though, Katie Couric had become the first woman to anchor a network evening news program, Executives were skeptical because they believed that audiences would not take women newscasters seriously because their voices weren’t deep enough. Also, racism played a part in news casting. Bernard Shaw was chosen as principal anchor and that was considered a groundbreaking move for televised news. After Connie Chung was an anchor on television, people felt “comfortable” about an Asian anchor woman.

Even the size of the individuals head is important when on camera. People with larger-than-average heads come across well on television (something I just learned). Age and weight are also a major factor in news casting, especially for women. You have to be young, thin, and attractive to land the job. “Weather women” especially have to be young, thin, and attractive because they are always standing and the audience can see their entire body. If you do a Google search for weather women, the first results to show up are, Beautiful weather woman, hot weather woman, sexy weather woman so and so. That is pretty ridiculous because when I watch the weather I want to see the weather, not some “hot” weather woman. When it comes down to it, television newscast is just a show. When a reporter is on scene, they don’t usually say anything too helpful. The whole point of filming on location is so that the audience can see how bad the weather is outside. (As if, we couldn’t just look out the window). Watching a snow storm or rainstorm makes good television. When people see a news anchor knee deep in snow, then they realize just how bad it is outside. It’s kind of a joke and I feel sorry for the reporter that has to go on location and be outside in treacherous weather only to give a report that says nothing and isn’t helpful.

It’s called the news but is it really news? I don’t find celebrity gossip and scandals news. I know that is what attracts audiences, but I think it is a waste of time. Crime and health threats also seem to be appealing to the audience. As Prof. Strate stated, “If it bleeds, it leads.” Why is it that the news uses scare tactics? Must we see the same video played over and over again of some tragedy that recently occurred? How does this benefit the audience? After reading about the news I wanted to say something positive about it but I really couldn’t think of anything. I believe news is not only bad but is good but unfortunately we rarely ever see any good news on TV. Stories with happy endings aren’t very newsworthy and don’t attract an audience. Hopefully the whole dynamic of the news will change because it is an hour of depressing broadcast that I would rather just not watch.

Amazing Ourselves to Death Ch. 5-9

The “Breaking the News” chapter reminded me a lot of the topics we discussed in Windows and Mirrors. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality becomes an everyday norm for today’s society in which movies and media play a major role in people’s lives. We can no longer tell if we are looking at a window or a mirror when we watch things like the news because we are so used to seeing the same images being depicted in movies and fictional television shows. Catastrophic events like Hurricane Sandy or 9/11 seem almost like a window to those who did not experience it firsthand, when it actuality it is a mirror, reflecting what is really occurring. This blurring effect becomes dangerous as people can not properly grasp the severity of a problem. The merging of fiction and reality lowers our standards for violence, devastation, and negative events, which makes us almost build an immunity towards such things because we are so used to seeing them in fiction.

It’s also interesting to note that 9/11, along with other major news events, was so prominently recorded by everyday people. As Professor Strate says, this is also only in 2001, back before cell phone recording devices were developed and popular. Today, with well developed cameras in our phones and the capacity to record whenever and wherever we want, we have become obsessed with documenting our every move. Again, people almost forget the severity of the events that are occurring and instead, just focus on getting it recorded. Since news stations now rely on amateur videos from YouTube to playback during their segments, everyday people try to be the ones to supply them. This puts people in danger because they feel the need to document events no matter the cost, to themselves and to others. When fights breakout in high schools most students stand around and record it instead of getting help. When a natural disaster strikes people stay around to catch it on film rather than getting to safety. While sometimes these can help in investigations, the ease of becoming an amateur filmmaker have put more people in danger than anything else. The advancement of technology has caused people’s mindset to be film first, think second. 

Amazing Ourselves to Death Chapters 1-4

Neil Postman believed that if unchecked man's relentless strive for entertainment as it pertains to media technology would also be man's inevitable downfall. Sounds grim, I know. As stated before in some of my previous posts, media technology is ever evolving and with each new technological advancement man becomes more and more fascinated and dependent towards media technology. Today, media technology has entered what I like to call the social media age. At least in America, everything we do in our daily lives, both professional and personal takes place on social media. In some cases, our activity on social media has become somewhat of a chore. One of the major ideas that stuck out to me the most, is the notion that media technology as it pertains to writing creates a numbness to the way we communicate. Focusing on writing as impersonal, communication is more than half nonverbal, and although we put our emotions and intentions into written form, those feelings and intentions are never fully realized (translated and received). This reminds me of Walter Ong, who believed that writing, literacy in general had negative effects on the human mind. Perhaps, he's write. Gathering from firsthand experience, media technology, has become second nature to the younger generation, including my own. Understanding this, I believe that we are inadvertently loosing touch with other forms to other forms of communication by engaging in media technology, very much in the same way argued orality over literacy. Strate says that there should be a balance between our usage of media technology and other forms of communication. I believe this to be true.