Postman argues that television ushered in an Age of Entertainment in the United States that did not merely degrade meaningful public discourse, but shattered it entirely and made the lack thereof *completely normal* and *unobserved* by the non-discerning public. A Huxleyan Brave New World, rather than 1984. It's a remarkably prescient read in our digital age. He doesn't provide any meaningful plan for what to do about it however. He suggests that awareness and consciousness of how our information and public sphere is shaped by the mediums through which we receive the information is enough. But how do we structurally build that awareness? Ideas to take with me [[Did the transition from print to visual media erode our collective attention?]] [[Now...this]] [[News media that treats the audience as the product reshapes our beliefs about truth]] [[Algorithmic personalization in media creates deceptive coherence to users]] [[Our social media is shaped by our most reactive selves]] He then gives two ways to fight the degradation of public discourse by television -- use the medium itself, and use the academic system. He discounts the idea of using the medium itself, but I actually find it more interesting. Use the television to parody television. Make it ridiculous. Make the viewer feel the ridicule. It mirrors some of my ideas for interactive experiences that make you think about the medium's impact. [[How can you use the medium against itself?]]