Thoughts after reading Entertainment to Death

And many people imagine different, this is not a critique of the entertainment industry, entertainment is just the appearance, television media is the essence behind. In this book, the author Neil Postman deeply analyzes the influence and shaping of media on culture, and proposes a very accurate prediction of the cultural development logic of his TV era with humorous and profound language.

There is a famous proposition in this book -- "media is metaphor". In the author's words, it means that powerful media can redefine the real world with a hidden but powerful suggestive power, and even shape the cultural spirit of an era. For a popular example, the appearance of television media has brought unprecedented sound and image culture and advertising culture, which is the transformation and change of the previous culture by the new media. Although what the author analyzes in the book is the television medium that seems to be becoming the past, and analyzes its solemnness of public discourse and the dissolution of logic and rationality of thinking, the profound insights in the book still have important thinking value for the current Internet information age. Thanks to easy access to information, "we are smarter than ever," the book says, but that intelligence does not translate into action, a phenomenon known as the "information to action ratio imbalance."

Neil Postman's theory may be well understood if we explore this corner of today's social media. At present, many people are unable to extricate themselves from the pleasure and stimulation of short videos. By gently sliding their fingers, they are taking away the time that should be used well. However, the information we get from these videos is often of no use except for entertainment, and there is no way to quote or guide real life. Furthermore, such passively receiving information in addition to a waste of time, can lead to more we lose the ability to think as a person, because of the short video refused to think, it guide, persuade, temptation, even forced you to accept the content of the video, novelty and pleasure a feedback to you, only then the seller can get traffic, platform to reap benefits.

That's why some critics say we're "smarter" than ever before, but also lighter than ever before. The massive acquisition of information is accompanied by a significant loss of independent thinking. The English title was more AMUSING -- AMUSING TO DEATH -- and it certainly suggested more of a man-do-it-yourself theme. But, from another perspective, it also points to a way to solve the problem -- starting with people themselves. At the end of the article, the author writes that although there is little hope of solving the problem, "we still have reason not to lose faith" through education and public efforts.

In short, as independent individuals, surrounded by information media and facing a series of contents, can we do more in-depth understanding and rational analysis, think more about the underlying logic of social phenomena, communicate more and listen more? We should maintain the value of human dignity in the dialectic between integrity and innovation, instead of being one-sided and complacent about becoming "smart".

Of course, there are two sides to every question, and the above discussion is just a critique of the shortcomings of modern media, and a potential concern that may be worth considering, based on the points made in Entertainment to Death. However, we cannot deny the productivity innovation and the great convenience of life style brought by modern information technology, as well as the inevitable promoting role of modern media for the progress of human civilization. Therefore, we hope that readers can better maintain a balance between rationality and sensibility in their future life, and at the same time of rapid development of media technology, put shoes on their minds and become truly intelligent, so as not to be "quietly subordinate to entertainment" and "eventually destroyed by what we love".

As Hegel said, "Man is an end, not a tool." It is man who gives civilization to the media, rather than allowing civilization to be constrained by the media. Therefore, while enjoying the convenience brought by the current media and a series of advanced technologies, we should also calmly see its drawbacks and worries. Yes, we're smarter than we've ever been, but we should be smarter than we've ever been.

In short, Entertainment to Death is a rare classic in terms of language, argumentation, depth of thought, and practical significance. It is a cultural treasure worth reading. Maybe the first reading will be so obscure, but once in-depth, it will be worth the trip.