Postman argues that television has now become a form of communication for the public. In other words, instead of communicating with each other and reading a book in order to learn about something new, we turn to the television. So for example if someone wants to learn about a new culture, their understanding of that culture will be whatever that they have seen on television. And we all know that television is rarely accurate, when it comes to portraying something for what it really is. .
Postman also notes that every bit of technology is negatively reshaping the American culture without them even realizing it, that now technology has become a medium, and that it seems to always find itself in a social setting. He then refers to the brain. Technology is to a medium, as the brain is to the mind. And even like the brain itself, technology has an inherent bias. Technology and the media have almost become like best friends. With all the advanced technology today, you can almost do anything and watch television at the same time. For instance, you can drive, while watching your favourite television show. When it becomes this accessible to us, how can we not be influenced by it? How can we not take it for what it is? .
Lastly, Postman states that the result of all this will be that our society will become completely homogenized. In my opinion, there is definitely no arguing against that. Obviously, if everyone in society was attaining all their information from the same source, of course we are only going to think alike. However, it also depends on how people take decided to take that information. Whether they take it as a base, to further educate themselves on that matter, or whether they take it for what is.
Newcomb and Hirsch oppose Postman's arguments stating that the effect of mass media on the American Public may be explained through pluralism . In this sense, pluralism means that there is more than one reason behind it.