1. What is “the question”? What is the author trying to figure out?
The question being posed in this book is about whether television is helping or harming our society as a whole. Dr. Postman readily argues that television is quickly eroding away at our way of communicating ideas. Throughout the book, he postulates the ways that television has taken speech and written word, shoved them aside, and replaced them with drama, spectacle, and amusement.
2. What is the primary method or approach used? Evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.
Dr. Postman used Content Analysis as his primary approach. He was able to amass a large amount of information, from the Lincoln-Douglas debates to church services broadcast on television. This method of research has its strength in the amount of information one can gather, from written speeches to newspaper articles to TV programs. One can paint a vivid picture of a society based on all these forms of communication. Unfortunately, an inherent weakness of the content analysis method is that it does not study people themselves. So one would have the content, but not the effects it has on the people, or the reactions and thought of the people to the content.
3. What is the central thesis or argument?
The central thesis …show more content…
People would think that because we have televised events, and televised news, that we as a society are exposed to more things and ideas, and that would foster greater thinking and progress. Unfortunately, according to Postman, we’re more concerned with the entertainment value of everything we see on TV. Yes, we’re more exposed to what goes on around the world, but we’re less concerned about the substance and more on the flash. This book can be an eye-opener, and cast a light on the society we’ve become: consumed with image and the next big
The question being posed in this book is about whether television is helping or harming our society as a whole. Dr. Postman readily argues that television is quickly eroding away at our way of communicating ideas. Throughout the book, he postulates the ways that television has taken speech and written word, shoved them aside, and replaced them with drama, spectacle, and amusement.
2. What is the primary method or approach used? Evaluate its strengths and weaknesses.
Dr. Postman used Content Analysis as his primary approach. He was able to amass a large amount of information, from the Lincoln-Douglas debates to church services broadcast on television. This method of research has its strength in the amount of information one can gather, from written speeches to newspaper articles to TV programs. One can paint a vivid picture of a society based on all these forms of communication. Unfortunately, an inherent weakness of the content analysis method is that it does not study people themselves. So one would have the content, but not the effects it has on the people, or the reactions and thought of the people to the content.
3. What is the central thesis or argument?
The central thesis …show more content…
People would think that because we have televised events, and televised news, that we as a society are exposed to more things and ideas, and that would foster greater thinking and progress. Unfortunately, according to Postman, we’re more concerned with the entertainment value of everything we see on TV. Yes, we’re more exposed to what goes on around the world, but we’re less concerned about the substance and more on the flash. This book can be an eye-opener, and cast a light on the society we’ve become: consumed with image and the next big