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Better life Quote by Neil Postman

“a peek-a-boo world, where now this event, now that, pops into view for a moment, then vanishes again. It is an improbable world. It is a world in which the idea of human progress, as Bacon expressed it, has been replaced by the idea of technological progress. The aim is not to reduce ignorance…” quote by Neil Postman
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““a peek-a-boo world, where now this event, now that, pops into view for a moment, then vanishes again. It is an improbable world. It is a world in which the idea of human progress, as Bacon expressed it, has been replaced by the idea of technological progress. The aim is not to reduce ignorance, superstition, and suffering but to accommodate ourselves to the requirements of new technologies. We tell ourselves, of course, that such accommodations will lead to a better life, but that is only the rhetorical residue of a vanishing technocracy. We are a culture consuming itself with information, and many of us do not even wonder how to control the process. We proceed under the assumption that information is our friend, believing that cultures may suffer grievously from a lack of information, which, of course, they do. It is only now beginning to be understood that cultures may also suffer grievously from information glut, information without meaning, information without control mechanisms.””

Neil Postman

About This Quote

Source Book: Amusing Ourselves to Death, 1985

Technological progress replaces human progress, causing information overload and loss of meaning.

In simple terms: Tech can drown meaning with excess info.

Key Takeaway

Seek balance between tech and meaningful knowledge.

Themes

technology culture information overload

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical educational

When to use this quote

  • education reform
  • media literacy
  • personal digital hygiene
  • policy making

Key Concepts

media theory critical thinking

Questions to Reflect On

  • How to filter meaningful information?
  • What controls can limit overload?
A Different Perspective

May overlook benefits of tech.

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