A Study On Neil Postman’s Media Technology Theories

Neil Postman is a famous American educator and cultural Critics, as a representative figure of the media environment school, he is always full of deep humanistic concern, standing on the opposite side of trends of times, and keeping vigilance of technology. His multi-media technology thought mainly focus on the erosion of technological rationality on humanistic.The article Postman summarizes the sources of Neil Postman’s philosophy, traces his education background and the time he has been living, analyzes what impact of modern and post-modern thought has on him, how his spirit of humanistic and individual rationality developes under the influence of Enlightenment rationalism, media environment school, as well as his Jewish religious affiliation, all of which has laid an important foundation for his critical system. In addition, the analysis on Postman education critical is an innovative part of this article. The analysis of Postman theory so far are mainly based on his four books about technology, but rarely involved in his philosophy of education, which is considered as an integral part of the Postman critical system. It’s his education critical that let he see the impact of the media on education, which then shifted his focus to technical criticism. Speculative method is used in the article when analyzing Postman’s views on the concept of school, education, television, and comparing his philosophy with Jerry Mandel, Mumford, Robert Darnton, David Parkin Han, Bourdieu, John Fisk, Paul Levinson, Texas Hove etc.In the end of this article, I summarize four limitations of postman technical theory: stubborn humanism care, pessimistic man with technological modesty, ignoring the political and economic impact of technology as well as the value deviation in technological rationality.After examining a lot of English materials and in analysis of these data, I try to put forward my views.Television does not eliminate the children pure mentality, childhood also didn’t pass, just in the digital age to a whole new way.I proposes that even in the present there is a necessary to return to TV. Also points out that Postman focus only on the printed word culture nostalgia simply not enough to shake the form of mainstream popular culture today.In addition, at the end of the article I summarizes the four major limitations in the Postman’s technology theory.The promotion and confrontation between technology and culture is the eternal topic of historical development. Confront of Postman’s "Amusing ourselves to death" and "childhood is disappeared" and other cautionary common saying, we must spend less time on using technology media and form a correct view of the role of technology, we must look belong to this narrative about the era of civilization rather than fall into the myth of technology. Only in this way can we find out the meaning of life.