Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology PART I

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture of Technology by Neil Postman is definitely a book I would have never thought of reading but once I started it, I was surprised at how interesting it was from the very beginning. Postman's clever usage of Thamus and Freud had be looking forward to what he would say next. Until, of course, I read his actual point: technology was ruining our lives, even if there are winners and losers in all cases.

I really could not get myself to agree with him. Sure, large organizations may have gotten better with technology but the masses of people he mentions on page 10 are not losers, either. Everyone has benefited from the development of technology. We have much better systems and machinery to help us accomplish more in an efficient way. Steelworkers have better equipment and protection, vegetable-store owners have better storing method for their products, teachers have access to even more information online, and so on! They are definitely not losers of technology.

It felt like Postman was mostly scared of the change that would come about with the growing technology. Just as our minds have become accustomed to dealing with and judging people by numbers and grades (pg. 13), our minds will alter themselves to fit in whatever has been changed by technology. Additionally, he fears that the new developments will be unlike the previous tools we have dealt with that have been integrated well into our culture (pg. 25) and become a true technopoly, which is a totalitarian technocracy (pg. 48). Even though he called himself an open-minded individual, it is clear that he is against all the changes brought on by technology and the possible changes that are to come.

At the end of the first half of the book, I found it a bit funny to see how serious Postman seemed in regards to how technology will ruin our society. Not only will Technopoly experts fail to relate to any matter unrelated to his/her expertise, they are like beauracracies (pg 87), which Postman states create problems (pg. 86). There is also no such thing as sin and evil in a Technopoly because in essence, they are parts of a moral universe that cannot be cared for in the technological world (pg. 90). I'm sorry, but what in the world? I have no idea where he got all this from and could not help laughing out of confusion and disbelief.

I can't wait to read the second half of the book to see how Technopoly cannot work and how the consequences are stupid and painful!