Final Exam … Final Thoughts

In Technopoly by Neil Postman, the author is expressing his viewpoint about the negative or downside of technology. Postman admits “that anyone who looks at technology as an either-or development -- that is, either all good or all bad -- is making a mistake.” All technological change is what I call a Faustian bargain. It gives you something, but it also taketh away something” (mrbauld.com). Technopoly was published in 1992 and odespite the fact that is only 17 years ago, it is light years in technological growth. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg who was just named Time Magazine’s Person of The Year was only 8 or 9 when the book came out.

The point it is impossible to call technology good or bad because it is both. What it always does, for me anyway, is amaze. While doing some Google searches on Postman I came across the eulogy given by his son Andy at Neil Postman’s wake. On Wednesday, October 8, 2003, at Parkside Chapel in Forest Hills, Queens, a son remembered his dad in a remarkable tribute that the miracle that is the internet has allowed me to experience.

I was so moved by Andy Postman’s stirring words that I contacted him via Facebook. I think his dad would have approved this usage of technopoly. Andy was obviously deeply impacted by his father. As was I…by my dad’s passing. My dad went to St Peter’s in Jersey City on the GI Bill and graduated with an accounting degree. He secured a job with what is now KPMG prior to graduation. My dad died alone in a horrible little room over a bar. I didn’t know where he was living nor did I care. No son should ever have to say that about his dad. It would impossible to quantify what alcoholism has done to my family. I hope many more sons say about Neil Postman what his son Andy said at his passing than what I have to say about my dad. By the grace of God I am 5 years sober and I spend much of my time speaking at prisons, to convicted drunk drivers, at drug rehabs and recently to the seniors at my old high school in the hopes that they don’t have to endure either what I nor my father endured.

Anyway, I think while there is a downside to technology, the upside usually outweighs it. Because of technology, I was able to relive the eulogy Neil Postman’s son gave for his dad and I was able to share the story about my dad with him. Of course, I am used to things happening very quickly using technology and the fact that Andy Postman has not responded to my message, which I sent to him all of 10 minutes ago… well, its starting to get annoying. Lack of patience, that’s a downside…

Here’s link to the Harvard gazette with a great article about embracing technology in education… I missed it for the paper, but it’s great… http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/12/digital-drive/

“What we want to be able to do is make sure the teaching is driving the technology,” said Katie Vale, director of the Academic Technology Group, Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS)...I think Neil Postman would agree that this is how technology and education can be combined for the ascent of humanity.

Moving forward, technological growth and innovation will continue to evolve at a dizzying rate and embracing it while at the same time acknowledging the downside is most certainly the way to take on society’s challenges in the coming years. And, as we have seen in this class from the invention of the first computer, to the widespread incorporation of the internet into daily life, young minds will keep on this path resulting in near daily changes to the way we live our lives.