English Debate Club : Is the medium the message?

Debate topic for November 3
Is the Medium the Message?

In his book Amusing Ourselves to Death from 1985, Neil Postman argues that the way we receive information affects how we think, communicate, and understand the world.

He compares the general world of reading and writing text, in which people are encouraged to think deeply and follow logical arguments, with the world of television, where information and ideas is more often than not presented as a type of entertainment in the programming.
According to Postman, this change has affected political debate and public discussion; being shorter, more focused on emotion and appearance, and less focused on facts and serious arguments.

Has the general change to TV as a debate medium made society distracted and less informed? Has it on the other hand made information more accessible to a wider audience? Can a medium influence not only what we think about, but also how we think?

With smartphones, computers, and the Internet playing such a large role in our daily lives the discussion might be even more important now, 40 years after the publication of this book. Social media, short videos, online news, and constant notifications compete for our attention. We can access more information than ever before, but does that mean we understand the world better?

Is Postman's idea that "the medium is the message" true and if so, still true today? Has modern technology improved public discussion and political awareness, or has it made meaningful conversations more difficult?

at 18.00 Swedish time, log onto https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83063138691
Meeting ID: 830 6313 8691
Passcode: EngDebate

The debate will begin about 18:05 or when most have gathered. The moderator, Tobias, reads the topic for the group, combined with related questions that might get us thinking. Then we put our names in the chat if we want to speak, and he calls on us (either in turn or else if someone has not spoken, he gives them priority).