Technology Ideology

I finished reading Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman (1931-2003). It is a thought-provoking book that puts forth the argument that television, with its use of images to convey information versus the printed word, has radically changed how we think, learn and assess what is true. Given that the book was published in 1985, you could substitute the Internet or any of the other technological wonders of the 21st century, and the argument would still be just as valid.

Although Postman was a humanist, the book was helpful to me as a parent, home educator, and Christian, because we are charged to "not be conformed to this world." Therefore as a believer, I need to closely examine the effects of entertainment-driven technology, the very thing on which the world thrives. Yes, there are benefits from technology, but there are risks as well. The presence of technology has a pervasive and invasive presence in every part of our lives which may not always be a good thing, particularly if rational, critical, Biblical thinking is being sacrificed to feed "man's infinite appetite for distractions."

But we had forgotten that alongside Orwell's dark vision, there was another - slightly older, slightly less well known, equally chilling: Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Contrary to common belief even among the educated, Huxley and Orwell did not prophesy the same thing. Orwell warns that we will be overcome by externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.

What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture.
(page vii)