Wednesday, March 27, 2013
POSTMAN VIDEO
Postman raises some important questions about the use and effects of technology on society. Respond to one of Postman's cautions about the introduction of new technologies. Do you agree? Is there some biblical truth in Postman's concern? Use your notes from class to help you as you write. Be sure to respond to a classmate's posting as well.
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I found Postman's third question to be the most interesting, asking what new problems would be created by the solution of this new technology. I never realized that many inventions would not be created if the inventors knew what their creations would be used for. Postman described this, and used the example of the monks making the first electronic clock, which they thought would be used for telling the time to worship for 7 times a day. However, if the monks knew that clocks would be used by merchants, to give standard work hours and set standards for commodities that would secularize work and turn it away from theology and worship, they would have never made electronic clocks. Postman also brought up the cars, which solved the problem of transportation but brought up new problems like pollution, habitat destruction, and traffic.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with Postman that we need to think of the new problems that a technology will develop in advance to creating and popularizing the technological advancement. Postman’s idea reminds me Biblically of how we need to think of the consequences of our sins before we actually sin. There is a biblical accuracy behind this, as we need to realize that our “solutions,”(like a cover up white lie or a small snag of a candy bar) will cause problems (destroyed friendships or even jail time) that might be worse than the original problem of truth that stings or of hunger that we began with.
However, I think that thinking through all new problems that come with technology is a little impractical and unrealistic, because not all problems can be thought up beforehand. I doubt that the monks could have ever pictured their electronic clocks used for work hours. They probably could have never even imagined that. And car creators couldn’t have foreseen the terrible pollution that would increase on such a massive scale. Still, we need to at least try to think through the potential problems or potential sins that a new technology could give us into. We need to think ahead to be forewarned and on guard against these to prevent us from falling into them.
I think you make a really good point when you say that our solutions will cause more problems. Everyone says that one sin leads to another but if you stop and look back on things, that statement is often correct. With technology, it is important that each steps is towards a better solution, although I agree it is not truly possible to know all of the consequences beforehand. Rather than trying to fix every little thing, we should focus on the issues that are the most pressing and have solutions that could yield the most benefits.
DeleteYes this was a very interesting question that Postman brought up. Since you brought up the problem that technology could bring about in a religious context one came in my mind, and that is the problem of online sermon videos. This can be used in a good way, like if someone is sick and cannot make it to church, but this can also lead to problems such as not even thinking that going to church is important, and losing the community aspect of the church.
DeleteIn this video, Postman poses some questions that really make us think about technology and how it affects not only us, but the world around us. Because we live in a fallen world, we are surrounded by problems. His first question makes us realize that with technology we are seeking a solution to even the most basic problems. Although I am not against technology by any means, I think technology is a prime example of what happens when people try to solve problems by themselves without the help of God; we typically mess something else up in the process. In the process of trying to make things better, we often make things worse for others in our own selfish acts and that is basically what Postman’s second question suggests as well.
ReplyDeleteI feel like his fourth and fifth questions hold an almost biblical approach. If we consider what other people might be harmed with new technology and consider their needs, we are showing love for our neighbors. Changes in language are also important, especially as we get further and further away from biblical meanings. Two of the big ones that stuck out to me were conversation and community. We must be careful to never lose sight of the true meaning of those two because without them there can be no true fellowship.
I agree with Postman that how we answer these questions will determine where we stand. All technology provides us with a new problem. That can be an overwhelming thought. I feel it is important to remember that while technology will always bring about a new problem that does not mean that the benefits cannot outweigh the drawbacks. There is still so much good that has been brought about by technology, and when considering new technology, we must always think about what issue is being resolved to determine if the negatives are worth the benefits.
I really like what you said about loving our neighbors by taking the time to think about Postman's fourth and fifth questions. I feel like we have the tendency to simply think about how we can make our own lives better instead of others, but you point out that if we take the time to think about the effects on other people, we are able to love them by showing consideration in areas like technology.
DeleteI agree with you that often times we can so easily mess up the perfect world and order that God created when we try on our own to make things better. Instead, we need to rely on God, to seek His guidance when taking into account the benefits and drawbacks of a certain technology. We need to use discernment based off knowledge from Him and His Word and like you mentioned, this includes putting our neighbors before ourselves and thinking of their needs and how a new technology might affect them. I definitely agree that loving our neighbors means thinking of how technology might cost the people around us, and doing so, planning a technology wisely. And your point about fellowship really struck me. I didn't really think of technology as a gateway to losing fellowship with our believers, but it definitely could harm our fellowship when we lean toward texts and not face to face conversation. We need to be cautious of this, just as you mentioned.
DeleteI thought Postman's first question was the most challenging. He asked, "What is the problem to which this technology is a solution?" This question makes us really consider the purpose behind the many aspects of technology that are present in today's society.
ReplyDeleteHow much of technology has a purpose behind convenience? While it is true that some technology is life-saving, such as hospital equipment, generators, and certain types of communication device, how often is the problem intended for technology to solve simply one of convenience? Take the internet, for example. While it is an amazing resource and provides a ton of knowledge, was it actually created to solve a problem? Generations before ours, full of genius inventors and theorists, came up with original ideas and concepts without the internet. I personally am very glad for the internet and am in no way saying that it is something that is bad, but does it have a purpose beyond simply making things easier for us?
While Postman himself is not a Christian, we as Christians must consider technology that was developed simply to make things easier. How can we use resources like the internet to follow God's callings in our lives? What problems within this fallen world can we use technology as a remedy? When we further technology simply to make life easier, are we actually helping this world be redeemed?
I believe that when we put so much time and effort into developing technology, it should be in order to solve a specific problem (for example: technology used in cancer research). Instead of working to make this world simply easier for those in it, we should strive to innovate technology in a way that makes the world better, more redeemed, and easier to see the image of God in.
I think that is a really good insight to consider as Christians, of whether our intentions behind new technology is fulfilling our own wants or if it is aimed at redeeming the world around us. I feel as if it is easy to forget this at times when we think about things such as technology, but Postman did a good job of laying out the questions we should ask in order to evaluate our reasoning behind the development of new technology.
DeleteAlthough Postman gave this lecture in 1998, the questions he proposed are still questions that need to be asked today. The six questions that Postman presented were questions of restraint, and that restraint was toward technology. People were getting more and more excited about technology and the internet was getting extremely popular. Postman wanted to give caution to the changes that were to come, especially in the 21st century. Out of all the questions that Postman asked three really stuck out to me.
ReplyDeleteThe first was the question of other problems that will occur, and I see that being prevalent today. More and more kids, and in fact adults are having shorter attention span and also less social skills because of technology. Pollution from automobiles is getting worse and worse, and the problem of antibiotics weakening the immune system is just one of the many problems of modern medicine today.
The next question was the one about the people who are harmed. I thought that was interesting because he brought up the problem of underpaid teacher, and how the government will pump millions of dollars in funding schools with technology, but will seem to leave the teachers out to dry, and I believe that is a major problem still today.
Lastly, I was really struck with the question of communication that Postman brought up. How words such as community or communication change when we implement technology throughout our world. And this problem is getting worse and worse today. Personally I am apart of this problem. I would say that a text would be a conversation and that is exactly what Postman is cautioning.
I believe that Postman brought up many enduring questions, and I wonder what I would think of the role of technology in the world today. Would he have even more questions? I think so.
I agree with you that even thought this video was from 1998 that it is still relevant today. We still need to ask ourselves those six questions as we continue to have new technologies and to caution ourselves with those technologies.
DeleteI also found the problem about underpaid teachers interesting because it is a major problem today. Teachers are very unpaid yet the schools are concerned with buying iPads for the classrooms when they should be more concerned with their teachers and the quality teaching of their teachers not buying the newest technologies.
I certainly agree that Postman's concern for lack of community is his strongest argument. Community is something that is so vital for human existence, it is easy to see why he is so concerned about it. It can be helpful to always consider and think about the true benefits of new technologies instead of just accepting them passively.
DeleteAs already mentioned this speech was given in 1998 which may seem outdated, but Postman’s goal of teaching us how to maintain our sanity in an ever advancing and speeded up society seems even more relevant today than it may have been back then. What I found most interesting was Postman’s example of his experience with the car salesman. When defining the “problem” that the technological advancements, cruise control and electric windows, in these cars were aimed at solving, Postman hints at how ridiculous some of these problems seem, such as rolling down a window or keeping your foot on the gas pedal.
ReplyDeleteI believe as Christians this should make us think twice when it comes to emerging technologies. Are these “problems” that we are aiming to solve really problems at all? This is where Postman’s question of language and community come into play. When we think of something as simple as cell phones we can see even here how this reduces the need for face to face contact. I don't think Postman or anyone is saying cell phones don’t provide a solution to problems because they do, just that we, specifically as Christians, need to be aware of these outcomes such as a reduction in social interaction. As long as we are aware of these issues we will be better adapted to respond and help improve it.
Completely agree with the awareness you speak of. I think it is really important to remember that we should not allow technology to take over many aspects in our life, such as communication. I think the car analogy was funny, but so true! It really wasn't a big deal in the beginning, but with the coming of time, people just made the improvement. Thanks for your ideas.
DeleteI found the first question of Postman’s video to be the one that made me think about new technology the most. His question was “What is the problem to which this technology is a solution?” This question of his really got me thinking and after thinking about it we try to use technology to solve a lot of our problems these days. The example of asking this question to his car dealer really made me think about how much we have used technology to make things better even when it may not be necessary. While yes some of this new technology is very helpful to our society there are some new technologies that are not necessary and have made our society lazy. Yes, we can use new technology to help us with things, but technology is fallen just like we are and we cannot simply rely on new technologies to solve all of our problems. Technology cannot play the role of that perfect being like our Lord can.
ReplyDeleteI think you made a good point that technology cannot play the role of that perfect being. A lot of times we look to technology and social media for validation and affirmation that can only be found in our Lord!
DeleteWhile I agree with Postman that we need to be cautious about new technology, I think there comes a point when we must realize that new technologies are ultimately a sign of progress. One generation will always criticize the next for being lazy and unproductive. Yet, we can generally agree that the human race has increased its productivity and efficiency over the years. Not to the say that we should be critical and careful about new technologies that arise, but rather we should not be fearful of progress.
ReplyDeleteI found Postman's fifth question fascinating. He asked about the linguistic changes brought about by technology. An obvious example I can think of is the word "text" and how it has come to 1) become a verb, and 2) be used more frequently than ever before! It's now something people do for more than 100 times a day.
Ultimately, I think Postman posed some good questions that guide us in evaluating technologies. However, I think we shouldn't be overly critical of technological progress.
I think you bring up a good point in your comment concerning technology being seen as progress. I'm sure there are many things that previous generations deemed as unproductive and lazy that now are seen as commonplace. These new technologies help us perform everyday tasks so that we are more efficient. I think technology is a good thing as long as we are cautious. I also liked your point about text. Good example!
DeletePostman had a lot of great points in his address. The answer to his second question, however, is one that caught my attention. "The problem may not be everyone's problem." That simple statement answers a lot of questions that people have about technology. Is it really relevant to change something that is good enough? With constant new updates, it is hard to find contentment, as the Lord has called of us. It is important to remember moderation in everything, and sometimes it is hard with technology. But I agree with Postman on most of his points. He was really easy to listen to and I appreciated the way that he addressed everyone. He made the atmosphere really comfortable. Although his points were serious and touched on societal issues, he seemed very approachable.
ReplyDeleteWhile Postman's views were insightful, I found most of his arguments to be over-zealous. Is there really such a need to have a harsh view on technology? Let me say that I do agree that our culture relies much too heavily on technology. This is especially true when we consider the social implications of our over-reliance for technology. I whole-heartedly concur that social messaging and texting have made face-to-face conversations a rarity. Our sense of community, while arguably strengthened by social media, is replaced by a false sense of community. I believe Postman's concerns for this overreaching role of technology in society is justifiable. Postman, seems to carry the attitude that any kind of technological innovation is undesirable because of the potential for new problems being created. He cites the example of the invention of the automobile. While it has solved our "problem" of traveling efficiently, he says new problems are created when we consider the pollution given off by cars. Sure, this is true - it's an unfortunate drawback of using cars. But should he be so quick to denounce this kind of innovation as unnessesary? There is little doubt that Postman used either a car or public transportation to the University he gave this address at, yet he is criticizing the very technology he used?
ReplyDeleteI certainly appreciate Postman's concern for technology's growing presence in our lives. His words show us we need to be cautious of new technology and ensure that we do not allow it to replace other areas of our lives. However, I think credit should be given to where credit is due. With those drawbacks also come great progress and innovations, and that should not be ignored.
I see what you mean when you say that his arguments were overzealous - however, what I took away from his lecture was that our objective should be to remember to take these questions into consideration - not being skeptical about technology, neccessarily, but simply thinking twice before we buy into the next big thing.
DeleteI like technology as much as the next person, and I love getting new updates on my iPhone and I'm always looking towards the next new thing - however, I am brought to a halt at Postman's questions regarding technology. What really struck me was the first question actually. Many times our new updated technology is simply a means for accumulate more "stuff" and for feeding either our consumerism or addiction and need for attention through technology such as social media. When a new technology is invented, are these inventors really trying to address a glaring problem? Often the problem is minimal if not nonexistent. Obviously, as a society, we should improve and grow as time passes, otherwise we would not be utilizing our intelligence and creativity as humans given to us by God, but we should be alarmed when we are letting trivial technology take over our lives. I was recently talking with a fellow senior who is writing his SIP on technology and education - and essentially what he concluded through his research and studies and own thinking was that the only thing that will save education from complete takeover of technology will be effective, good, and personal teaching. The scary thing is that technology has the power to be able to replace all human interaction, and it's a very realistic fear. However, this gives us motivation to be the best teachers we can be and to make teachers be irreplaceable by being so personal and effective.
ReplyDeletePostman had some very insightful comments but at the same time some of his points seemed to be over the top. I liked the Thoreau quote that was used in the beginning of the video that said “All our inventions are improved means to an unimproved end.” Technology may be helpful in improving the way we do things but in the end what we do will be the same. I thought it was an interesting way to start because it puts our use of technology in perspective. However, sometimes in the video I did find it hard to really listen to what he had to say because he was questioning inventions that just seem like a part of life today. That being said I do understand that some of the general principles can still be applied.
ReplyDeleteWhile I thought that Postman’s general ideas were good I had a problem with some of his questions. For example his first question was “What is the problem to which this technology is a solution?”. While most of the time this is a good question to ask sometimes it can be limiting. Sometimes experimentation is the way to innovation. If we knock out all the technology that isn’t already fixing a problem then we may lose some of the experimentation that goes on. His fifth question was “What changes in language will happen when this technology comes?” I do not think is one of the six most important questions that needs to be asked when purchasing technology. Language is always changing but that doesn't mean we have to inhibit technology because of that.