As I read chapters 5 and 6 of Technopoly, I am left wondering how we can effectively defend
ourselves against the rising technopoly.
When Postman says that our theories of family, school, religion,
nationhood, and political parties have been washed out by the flood of
information in our society (p. 83), it makes me wonder what there is left to
stand on. From his perspective,
this is why rely extensively on technology to control information.
When I consider the area of religion, I think it is possible
to have foundational beliefs/theories that help us control the information
coming in. Because of what I
believe, there are certain many sources of information I will not let in. Postman seems to agree with this as
well, but says this source of controlling information is failing because fewer
people are tied to this and choose to make practical decisions instead of moral
ones. In my little bubble, it
seems like most people I know still rely on their morals, so maybe this means I
need to get out of my bubble more.
Postman also talks about the theories of education being
wiped out, but I think this is still a place that we can filter
information. It is clear that, as
schools, we let certain information in and out based on what we deem to be necessary
and valuable information. We just
have to make sure we have a solid foundation of beliefs and purpose which help
us choose which information to use.
I can definitely agree with Postman that technology and
machines have changed the medical field.
It was astonishing to read the many statistics that referred to
unnecessary deaths due to unnecessary surgeries/treatments/medicines/etc. But when he pointed out the rational of
why this happens, it makes sense to me.
Doctors are tied. When
technologies are available and they don’t use them, they could get sued. I am thankful that I have a good
relationship with my doctor and that he still wants to hear my stories and
descriptions, but not everyone has that.
I wouldn’t sue him because of my morals and religion. But again, not everyone has that
foundation either.
Postman argues that because many of these theories are
failing, we are now relying on bureaucracies, technical machinery and
experts. In reference to experts,
he says: “The role of the expert
is to concentrate on one field of knowledge, sift through all that is
available, eliminate that which has no bearing on a problem, and use what is
left to assist in solving a problem.” (p. 88) What role do you think experts have in our world today? When there is so much information
available, does it make sense to have experts in certain areas? Or is it impossible to be an expert in
many of the areas we have talked about (education, family life, law,
etc.)? Do experts play any role in
your school?
I think it is okay to have experts in certain areas, especially the medical field. But, I think it comes down to communication. Communication is important between the specialist or expert, the family physician, and the patient. This would also be true in a school. Our school has a curriculum coordinator. I am thankful we have someone on staff who can look at the wider scope of how our curriculum flows from preschool through eighth grade. But, it wouldn't do much good for her to work on curriculum and not communicate with teachers. I think it is nice in other areas to have experts in schools, even amongst teachers. It would be great to see mentorships, where teachers can collaborate with other teachers and learn from one another.
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