Amusing Ourselves to Death

We have read Neil Postman’s book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, and discussed his ideas. Although his book was published in 1985, journalists keep referring to his ideas and predictions before the 2016 election and even in 2021. Megan Garber asks, “Are we having too much fun” (The Atlantic, 2017). Renee Hobbs claims his book has “influenced a generation of media literacy educators” (“A most mischievous word” 2021). So now it’s your turn to determine the relevance of his ideas today.

Essay prompt
Write an essay in which you discuss the relevance of one of Neil Postman’s theories in his book, Amusing Ourselves to Death, to how current American media or popular culture. Explain Postman’s idea and describe how this idea is illustrated in contemporary American society.