{"id":39443,"date":"2021-06-12T03:16:25","date_gmt":"2021-06-12T07:16:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=39443"},"modified":"2021-06-25T10:08:06","modified_gmt":"2021-06-25T14:08:06","slug":"neil-postman-brave-new-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/neil-postman-brave-new-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Brave New World: Neil Postman Saw It Coming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why did Neil Postman think the future would look like Huxley’s Brave New World<\/em>? How can changing how we watch tv help us avoid the Huxlean dystopia?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Amusing Ourselves to Death<\/em>, Neil Postman predicted that the future would look similar to the one depicted in Huxley’s dystopian novel Brave New World. <\/em>Postman explains that the only way to avoid this fate is to see and question what we\u2019re seeing rather than blindly trusting the media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading for more on Neil Postman’s Brave New World <\/em>future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Orwell and Huxley\u2019s Warning<\/strong>s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In <\/em>the book Amusing Ourselves to Death, <\/em>author Neil Postman thought a Brave New World <\/em>dystopian future<\/a> was imminent. <\/em>When a nation defines its culture as non-stop entertainment, it\u2019s at risk of cultural disintegration<\/strong>. In America, Huxley\u2019s predictions are coming to fruition. With our full embrace of television, we\u2019ve unconsciously undertaken an experiment in giving ourselves over to the distractions of technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Orwellian threat would be more obvious\u2014we know what authoritarianism looks like. But we haven\u2019t recognized entertainment technology as our ideology. Like an ideology, television imposes a system of ideas and ideals, a way of life. It\u2019s launched a cultural revolution in America without discussion, a vote, or resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how do we save ourselves from a Huxleyan fate?<\/strong> Of course, not everyone will think it\u2019s necessary, but for those who do, there are only a few paths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, realize that Americans will never give up any technology. It also isn\u2019t possible to limit people\u2019s use of technology, although there may be temporary benefits from voluntary efforts like designating a TV turnoff month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We could do more to limit certain content on television\u2014like violence or ads on children\u2019s shows\u2014the way we banned cigarette advertising. Also, we could try to improve quality, but remember, television is most damaging when it co-opts serious discourse in news, politics, religion, science, or education, and turns it into entertainment. We\u2019d be better off with bad television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing How We Watch<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, the problem isn\u2019t <\/strong>what<\/em><\/strong> we watch, it\u2019s <\/strong>how<\/em><\/strong>. Since television is most dangerous when we\u2019re oblivious to what it\u2019s doing, the only viable solution is to <\/strong>see<\/em><\/strong> and question what we\u2019re seeing<\/strong>. By asking questions, we demystify and break television\u2019s or technology\u2019s spell over us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the questions we should ask and answer are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n