"In any case, there's no going back (Cascio, p.1)." All of the readings today made me think more and more about the systems though which we communicate and how, regardless of what things were like in the past, our communication and information systems will continue to change and grow; there's no going back. Postman argues that with the advent of television, came the advent of trivial news meant to entertain rather than to truly inform. "Whereas television taught the magazines that news is nothing but entertainment, the magazines have taught television that nothing but entertainment is news (p.112)." I agree with him on this point. If I really want to know what is going on in the world (or at least what the 6 or 7 big media corporations want me to know about what is going on in the world), television news is not where I go. I turn to various newspapers (typically online versions), websites, and public radio.
In my agreement with Postman on this point, I am forced to look forward to the communication systems currently in use and those of the future. As an educator I feel a partial responsibility to ensure that future technologies do not act purely as forms of entertainment and recreation, but that they are used to advance our society in thought provoking and meaninful ways. We can not stop the future, nor should we try to; however, we should try to use our new communication tools with our students in an effort to sustain critical thinking and reflective thought.
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