Response: Chapter Four of Technopoly

Within Chapter 4, Postman continues on his quest of exposing the reader towards the control technology has played upon the cultural changes throughout history. In fact, he refers this shift towards an analogy using a deck of cards. The order of a new deck of cards is predictable and known right out of the package, but if one was to shuffle the deck, you would not know what to expect next. Therefore, the true meaning of life, if not unraveled or untouched, is predictable, whereas a shuffled deck of cards is what technology has done to our lives- caused chaos, confusion, and insecurity in regards of who is in control.
Postman continued with the development of communication throughout history, beginning with the printing press. The printing press allowed for a new environment to be formed, allowing all people from all classes to equally access information, thus increasing the importance of individuality. From the printing press came to telegraph, which removed the length of time communication was passed from person to person, thus increasing the value of “barrier-free” information- “…the telegraph made information into a commodity, a ‘thing,’ that could be bought and sold irrespective of its uses or meaning.” (67/68) Following the telegraph came the introduction of photography, which created a new definition of what information was- could be print but also in picture form. The fourth stage of the information revolution included broadcasting, which led to the most current revolution, computers. Thus, Postman concludes that we are on an information overload, causing our culture be sorely confused with no direction or truth to hold the excess information against.
My question in regards to this chapter lies within the idea of what to do next- with all this information at our fingertips, bombarding us each day with updates, blogs, newscasts, etc. what is the real solution? What are we to do here? Are our hands just tied or do we stand up and say “enough!” But, then we would have to broadcast that somehow through the use of technology in order to appeal to the masses- is there ever going to be an end to this vicious cycle?