--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Television is not old enough to have…" description: "\"“Television is not old enough to have matched printing’s output of junk.”\" — Neil Postman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/neil-postman-1598_old-enough_television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-mat_864331.jpg" --- # Television is not old enough to have matched printing’s… ![“Television is not old enough to have matched printing’s output of junk.” quote by Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/neil-postman-1598_old-enough_television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-mat_864331.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/neil-postman-1598_old-enough_television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-mat_864331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/neil-postman-1598_old-enough_television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-mat_864331.jpg) > ““Television is not old enough to have matched printing’s output of junk.”” [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Television’s fast, visual format cannot match the depth and quality of printed information, often producing superficial content. **In simple terms:** TV is shallow compared to print. Key Takeaway Seek depth over speed in media consumption. Themes media criticism technology culture Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - education - news consumption - media literacy Key Concepts Medium theory information quality Questions to Reflect On - What media formats best convey complex ideas? - How can you balance visual and textual information? A Different Perspective Print also has biases and limitations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Productivity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productivity/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) ## Related quotes > [I liked television in the old days. I liked that everybody knew every episode of 'The Brady Bunch,' everybody knew every episode of 'Cheers.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-schneider/i-liked-television-in-the-old-days-i-liked-that-everybody-knew-every/) [Dan Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-schneider/) > [I don't watch much television. My old TV agent used to always get mad at me because he'd send me out on auditions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zosia-mamet/i-don-t-watch-much-television-my-old-tv-agent-used-to-always-get-mad/) [Zosia Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zosia-mamet/) > [I don't really follow television so much, but in the old days there was a certain way TV was, and it wasn't really like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lynch/i-don-t-really-follow-television-so-much-but-in-the-old-days-there/) [David Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lynch/) > [The good television of today is probably better than the best television of the old days. The bad television of today is worse. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-humphrys/the-good-television-of-today-is-probably-better-than-the-best/) [John Humphrys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-humphrys/) > [As a culture moves from orality to writing to printing to televising, its ideas of truth move with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/as-a-culture-moves-from-orality-to-writing-to-printing-to-televising/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Anyone who has studied the history of technology knows that technological change is always a Faustian bargain: Technology giveth and technology taketh away, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/anyone-who-has-studied-the-history-of-technology-knows-that/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Nothing could be more misleading than the idea that computer technology introduced the age of information. The printing press began that age, and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/nothing-could-be-more-misleading-than-the-idea-that-computer/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Printing links the present with forever. It carries personal identity into realms unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/printing-links-the-present-with-forever-it-carries-personal-identity/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [TV serves us most usefully when presenting junk-entertainment; it serves us most ill when it co-opts serious modes of discourse - news, politics, science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/tv-serves-us-most-usefully-when-presenting-junk-entertainment-it/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [The effect of the discovery of printing was evident in the savage religious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Application of power to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-innis/the-effect-of-the-discovery-of-printing-was-evident-in-the-savage/) [Harold Innis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-innis/) > [I will always fight for progress and reform, never tolerate injustice or corruption, always fight demagogues of all parties, never belong to any party,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-pulitzer/i-will-always-fight-for-progress-and-reform-never-tolerate-injustice/) [Joseph Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-pulitzer/) > [Printers shall be liable to legal prosecution for printing and publishing false facts injurious to the party prosecuting: but they shall be under no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/printers-shall-be-liable-to-legal-prosecution-for-printing-and/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The World's a Printing-House, our words, our thoughts, Our deeds, are characters of several sizes. Each soul is a Compos'tor, of whose faults The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-world-s-a-printing-house-our-words-our-thoughts-our-deeds-are/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [TV is bigger than any story it reports. It's the greatest teaching tool since the printing press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-w-friendly/tv-is-bigger-than-any-story-it-reports-it-s-the-greatest-teaching/) [Fred W. Friendly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-w-friendly/) > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) Giambattista Bodoni ## More by Neil Postman > [“to whom will the technology give greater power and freedom? And whose power and freedom will be reduced by it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/to-whom-will-the-technology-give-greater-power-and-freedom-and-whose/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Cyberspace' is a metaphorical idea which is supposed to be the space where your consciousness is located when you're using computer technology on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/cyberspace-is-a-metaphorical-idea-which-is-supposed-to-be-the-space/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [Textbooks, it seems to me, are enemies of education, instruments for promoting dogmatism and trivial learning. They may save the teacher some trouble, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/textbooks-it-seems-to-me-are-enemies-of-education-instruments-for/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [The whole problem with news on television comes down to this: all the words uttered in an hour of news coverage could be printed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-whole-problem-with-news-on-television-comes-down-to-this-all-the/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“There being no international copyright laws, “pirated” editions abounded, with no complaint from the public, or much from authors, who were lionized.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/there-being-no-international-copyright-laws-pirated-editions-abounded/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The television commercial is not at all about the character of products to be consumed. It is about the character of the consumers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-television-commercial-is-not-at-all-about-the-character-of/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Many decisions about the form and content of news programs are made on the basis of information about the viewer, the purpose of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/many-decisions-about-the-form-and-content-of-news-programs-are-made/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“the world we live in is very nearly incomprehensible to most of us. There is almost no fact, whether actual or imagined, that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-world-we-live-in-is-very-nearly-incomprehensible-to-most-of-us/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Tüketici psikodramalarla yatıştırılan bir hastadır.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/t-ketici-psikodramalarla-yat-t-r-lan-bir-hastad-r/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“Huxley grasped, as Orwell did not, that it is not necessary to conceal anything from a public insensible to contradiction and narcotized by technological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/huxley-grasped-as-orwell-did-not-that-it-is-not-necessary-to-conceal/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The written word is assumed to have been reflected upon and revised by its author,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-written-word-is-assumed-to-have-been-reflected-upon-and-revised/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [We do not measure a culture by its output of undisguised trivialities but by what it claims as significant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/we-do-not-measure-a-culture-by-its-output-of-undisguised-trivialities/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“In America, the least amusing people are its professional entertainers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/in-america-the-least-amusing-people-are-its-professional-entertainers/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“We were keeping our eye on 1984. When the year came and the prophecy didn't, thoughtful Americans sang softly in praise of themselves. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/we-were-keeping-our-eye-on-1984-when-the-year-came-and-the-prophecy/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) > [“The question is not, Does or doesn't public schooling create a public? The question is, What kind of public does it create? A conglomerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/the-question-is-not-does-or-doesn-t-public-schooling-create-a-public/) [Neil Postman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) [Explore all 220 Neil Postman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/) ## More Junk quotes > [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/) [David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [When I die throw my body in the back and drive me to the junk yard in my Cadillac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/when-i-die-throw-my-body-in-the-back-and-drive-me-to-the-junk-yard-in/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [The attitude of gratitude is yoga. Ingratitude is "unyoga," like "uncola." Where gratitude is, there is yoga. Where there is ingratitude, yoga is gone.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh-yogi/the-attitude-of-gratitude-is-yoga-ingratitude-is-unyoga-like-uncola/) [Harbhajan Singh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh-yogi/) > [If it suddenly became impossible for us to cover up all the junk we normally hide from the rest of humanity, I have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/if-it-suddenly-became-impossible-for-us-to-cover-up-all-the-junk-we/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [For all the concern about bodies and weight, 'Baywatch' has three huge catering trucks on the set at all times. One for entrees, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-eggert/for-all-the-concern-about-bodies-and-weight-baywatch-has-three-huge/) [Nicole Eggert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-eggert/) > [Junk runs in the family. My granddad was a junk man in St. Louis and so was my uncle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redd-foxx/junk-runs-in-the-family-my-granddad-was-a-junk-man-in-st-louis-and-so/) [Redd Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/redd-foxx/) > [Corporations are totalitarian institutions. Board of directors at the top of managers give orders, everyone follows orders… At the very bottom of command, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/corporations-are-totalitarian-institutions-board-of-directors-at-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We sat there, not talking, for a few minutes. He ate the Moon Pie; only skinny people can scarf down junk food like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/we-sat-there-not-talking-for-a-few-minutes-he-ate-the-moon-pie-only/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [I grew up hearing everyone tell me 'God loves you'. I would say big deal, God loves everybody. That don't make me special! That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-grew-up-hearing-everyone-tell-me-god-loves-you-i-would-say-big-deal/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) > [We are not being true to the artist as a man if we consider his art work junk simply because we differ with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-not-being-true-to-the-artist-as-a-man-if-we-consider-his-art/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The smart way to improve broadband is not to junk the existing network but to make the most of it. It’s to let a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-abbott/the-smart-way-to-improve-broadband-is-not-to-junk-the-existing/) [Tony Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-abbott/) > [When things seem to be slowing down, there's this little trick I like to play. I'd plow this virgin who's on her period, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/when-things-seem-to-be-slowing-down-there-s-this-little-trick-i-like/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [Buy, buy, says the sign in the shop window; Why, why, says the junk in the yard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-mccartney/buy-buy-says-the-sign-in-the-shop-window-why-why-says-the-junk-in-the/) [Paul McCartney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-mccartney/) > [Every love has a poetic relevance of its own; each love brings to light only what to it is relevant. Outside lies the junk-yard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bowen/every-love-has-a-poetic-relevance-of-its-own-each-love-brings-to/) [Elizabeth Bowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bowen/) Browse all 451 Junk quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Television is not old enough to have matched printing’s output of junk.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil Postman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-matched-printing-s-output-of-junk/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Junk" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-matched-printing-s-output-of-junk/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/neil-postman-1598_old-enough_television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-mat_864331.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/neil-postman-1598_old-enough_television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-mat_864331.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/89e/neil-postman-1598_old-enough_television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-mat_864331.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Television is not old enough to have matched printing’s output of junk.” — Neil Postman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Neil Postman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-postman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Television is not old enough to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-matched-printing-s-output-of-junk/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-postman/television-is-not-old-enough-to-have-matched-printing-s-output-of-junk/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```