The Man Who Predicted the Downfall of Thinking

Few thinkers were as prescient about the role technology would
play in our society as the late, great Neil Postman. Forty years
ago, Postman warned about all the ways modern communication
technology was fragmenting our attention, overwhelming us into
apathy, and creating a society obsessed with image and
entertainment. He warned that “we are a people on the verge of
amusing ourselves to death.” Though he was writing mostly about
TV, Postman’s insights feel eerily prophetic in our age of
smartphones, social media, and AI. 


In this episode, Tristan explores Postman's thinking with Sean
Illing, host of Vox's The Gray Area podcast, and Professor Lance
Strate, Postman's former student. They unpack how our media
environments fundamentally reshape how we think, relate, and
participate in democracy - from the attention-fragmenting effects
of social media to the looming transformations promised by AI.
This conversation offers essential tools that can help us
navigate these challenges while preserving what makes us human.


Your Undivided Attention is produced by
the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on
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RECOMMENDED MEDIA


“Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman 


”Technopoly” by Neil Postman 


A lecture from Postman where he outlines his seven questions for
any new technology. 


Sean’s podcast “The Gray Area” from Vox 


Sean’s interview with Chris Hayes on “The Gray Area” 

"Amazing Ourselves to Death," by Professor Strate

Further listening on Professor Strate's analysis of
Postman. 


Further reading on mirror bacteria


RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES

’A Turning Point in History’: Yuval Noah Harari on AI’s Cultural
Takeover


This Moment in AI: How We Got Here and Where We’re Going


Decoding Our DNA: How AI Supercharges Medical Breakthroughs and
Biological Threats with Kevin Esvelt

Future-proofing Democracy In the Age of AI with Audrey Tang

CORRECTION:  Each debate between Lincoln
and Douglas was 3 hours, not 6 and they took place in 1859, not
1862.