As I was reading Amusing Ourselves to Death, one of the points the Postman made really struck me. In the middle of Chapter 7, Postman states that people do not really form their opinions on any given incident they see on the news, but, instead, they form emotions. I find this completely true. I mean just think back. How many times have you or a family member yelled at the T.V. saying "THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!" but no nothing more than what the news anchor presented? I know I have. If this has happened before, then you or your family member were able to react to the news, but only through emotions and not opinions.
A better, yet tragic example of this would be the public's reactions to the disaster of 9/11. The news presented the public with the facts that these terrorists were Arabic and part of a group called Al-Qaeda. Perhaps the reporters failed to emphasize that these terrorists were just extremists and do not reflect all Arabic people. But ultimately, the images of the 9/11 terrorists were immediately stamped onto the foreheads of millions of Arabic-American citizens living in the U.S. resulting in violent or discriminating hate-crimes.
Will we ever be able to zoom out and look at a situation as a whole and develop OPINIONS rather than just emotions? I fear not because as Postman says, T.V. only presents fragmented pieces of information. Something from which we cannot for a real opinion from because we will always see just one side to the story. I would like to hear more opinions on this matter. Do you agree or is there a way for the public to develop opinions rather than just emotions?
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It is true it has happened to everyone, we have all at times screamed at our television with anger or sadness. Yet we only have managed to react emotionally without opinion. I believe that although it seems almost impossible to develop opinions rather than just emotions it might be possible. In order for this to happen everyone would have to understand the politics and epistemology of media. This would enable people to become aware of the dangers that the television consist of. Therefore causing people to take television seriously and develop opinions rather than emotions.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the fragmented format of the news will cause the formation of emotions rather than opinions. However, opinions find themselves rooted in emotions. That's why kids in our generation form rebellious ideas like smoking weed is edgy and cool. This idea is built upon a repressed feeling. If we can apply this to the concept of television, then I believe that we'll be able to transcend and form opinions that reflect our emotions rather than mirror them.
ReplyDeleteI think that some opinions have been formed. What you said about Arabians all seen as terrorists. People don't trust Arabians, they are even scared of them. The same way that people assume that African Americans are all part of a gang.
ReplyDeleteErika- I understand your view point, and indeed that would be the best method to be able to form opinions rather than just feelings. However I am not sure how we can learn more about current politics and the epistemology of media if the information that we are always presented with is almost always one sided.
ReplyDeleteJon- Thank you for the input, I never thought of it that way.
gsantos- Well wouldn't the lack of trust and fear that people irrationally have toward Arabians show their emotions rather than their opinions? People dislike them because of what they heard about some extremists, not because they took the time to actually form an opinion about them and chose not to like them.
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ReplyDeleteJust as how everyone reacted to Haiti disaster, many people did take actions going to Haiti to help out or just donating, it was all emotions. The fact that one of the poorest country in the world got hit by natural disaster, the fact that many people died helplessly with many orphans on the streets without food, clean water, and a place to sleep. The whole country is piled with debris from buildings, looking totally hopeless still.
ReplyDeleteBut have we even thought of them recently? The media stopped informing us about Haiti relief, and regular people would assume that everything is fine in the country. I haven't thought of them for months now, until I remembered them through reading of Kylie's post.
We do forget so easily now just as Postman said.