Neil Postman, until his death in 2003, a well accepted Communication- and Mediatheorist at New York University has published back in 1985 his book “Amusing Ourselves to Death”. The following talk of “Technology and Society” handels the discussion of  “How to remain saint in a furious speeded up technological society?”

1. What is the problem to which a particular technology is a solution?
2. Who’s problem is it? Who will benefit from a technology and who will pay for it?
3. Suppose we solve this decisively problem, what new problems may be created by solved the problem?
4. Which people and what institutions might be most seriously harmed by a technological solution?
5. What changes in language are beeing enforced by new technologies and what is beeing gainend and lost by such changes?
6. What sort of people and institutions aquire special economic and political power because of technological change?

And here comes the talk including several examples per question. (duration ~ 70 funny minutes)

Quite funny aspects e.g. regarding introduction of super highspeed internet highway!

Enjoyed that talk just consume his book Amusing Ourselves to Death. It’s definetly a must have – but you may want to read George Orwells “1984″ and Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” first, since it referse to.