Education & Entertainment

I read an interesting article in my Comparative Education class that I thought was quite relevant to this class. It is by N. Postman in the book Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985). He discusses that how one learns is as important as what one learns, and this has implications in the technological age. I thought this article especially poignant given the date it was written; I wonder what the author thinks now. Here is an excerpt:

"One is entirely justified in saying that the major educational enterprise now being undertaken in the United States is not happening in its classrooms but in the home, in front of the television set, and under the jurisdiction not of school administrators and teachers but of network executives and entertainers...like the alphabet or the printing press, television has by its power to control the time, attention and cognitive habits of our youth gained the power to control their education. This is why I think it accurate to call television a curriculum." (p.145)

The influence of television in the 1980's has extended to computers in the 2ooo's. Education and technology have become intertwined to the point where they are inseparable. Although television and especially computers can be educational tools, it should not get to the point where they become education itself. There is an ever-growing attitude that children do not want to learn something unless it's presented as entertainment. This is a severely misguided mindset, because education and entertainment are NOT the same thing. I know some people will disagree with me on this, but true education requires dedication, hard work, and application of the mind. Yes, education should be interesting, but this should not be mistaken for entertainment. When children are constantly entertained in an attempt to educate them, they are being spoon-fed the material. Their natural curiosity and ability to think critically will weaken when they are repeatedly subjected to education of this kind. I think it is true that the medium is the message. When entertainment is the focus, what kind of message does that send to children?