What Would Neil Postman Think About The Current State of the Internet?

In 1985, influential American media theorist Neil Postman released Amusing Ourselves to Death, a book describing his predictions of how society was heading down a dangerous path. Rather than eventually succumbing to a totalitarian government that exercises extreme censorship like in George Orwell's 1984, our culture would shift to a future that looks more like Adlous Huxley's A Brave New World. This describes a world where information is drowned out by constant distractions and "more entertaining" yet trivial matters, allowing totalitarianism to rise. Postman wrote partly to critique the advancement of the television medium and all how it had changed the fundamentals of public discourse. Instead of seeing the value in rational logic, discussion surrounds novelty and immediate impact. Whatever's complex is turned into shallow entertainment. More than 50 years later, as the public begins relying more and more on digital platforms we can access from our pockets, Postman's warnings start to feel more relevant than ever. 

While I don't necessarily believe that our current culture looks more like one book or the other (more so a blend of the two), it's hard to ignore glaring aspects of Postman's predictions that are only being exacerbated by social media. Each time I log onto TikTok, it feels like there's more lavish displays of consumerism or more mindless apathy than before. We're constantly being sold new products or even ways of thinking through the lens of entertainment. Complicated politics are reduced to republican vs democrat, and much of this polarized online environment has seemed to place viral moments before true discussion. 

The digital sphere can be overwhelming. You may be bombarded by pictures from your favorite influencers at the latest music festival on Instagram only to open YouTube to get recommended a 4 hour video about why you need to buy the newest Pokemon game. It's really no wonder why less and less people are reading for pleasure or why we all have fried attention spans. Even the term doomscrolling has been added to our vocabulary. That doesn't mean everything is hopeless, though. As long as you participate with intention and look to encourage critical thought, the internet can be quite powerful. Take this as a reminder to put your phone down every now and then to take a look at what's happening around you. Engage with other points of view, and maybe read that one book you were obsessed with in middle school. 

Read more about it: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/07/17/neil-postman-amusing-ourselves-to-death/