Sean Illing

We had roughly 200 years after the printing press without any major revolutions in media technology, and we needed all of that time. to develop the institutions of modernity. But I'm not sure we have another 200 years to adjust to this revolution, and things are going to keep changing at breakneck speed.

We had roughly 200 years after the printing press without any major revolutions in media technology, and we needed all of that time. to develop the institutions of modernity. But I'm not sure we have another 200 years to adjust to this revolution, and things are going to keep changing at breakneck speed.

So I don't know where that leaves us, Ezra, but I do think it means we should expect a bumpy ride.

So I don't know where that leaves us, Ezra, but I do think it means we should expect a bumpy ride.

It's hard to say, but on some basic level, teaching kids or really at the very least, you know, as a secondary education level, teaching people about different communication technologies and the styles of speaking and the rhetorical strategies and the ways they push and pull and impose themselves on us and manipulate us teaching them about

It's hard to say, but on some basic level, teaching kids or really at the very least, you know, as a secondary education level, teaching people about different communication technologies and the styles of speaking and the rhetorical strategies and the ways they push and pull and impose themselves on us and manipulate us teaching them about

really teaching them about media ecology itself and teaching them about these technologies, not as reflections of our world, but shapers of it, but at least give people some kind of intellectual self-defense system or at least some way of recognizing maybe when they're being

really teaching them about media ecology itself and teaching them about these technologies, not as reflections of our world, but shapers of it, but at least give people some kind of intellectual self-defense system or at least some way of recognizing maybe when they're being

manipulated and when they're being pulled and pushed and twisted up by these different forces but i'm not especially sanguine about how effective that might be but that kind of media literacy of that kind seems to me more helpful than what a lot of people often talk about which is civics education because i don't think that's really the problem here

manipulated and when they're being pulled and pushed and twisted up by these different forces but i'm not especially sanguine about how effective that might be but that kind of media literacy of that kind seems to me more helpful than what a lot of people often talk about which is civics education because i don't think that's really the problem here

Well, I have to recommend Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death. I know that's a book that's been mentioned here before because I just feel like I have to recommend a media ecology book and McLuhan, God bless him, is so difficult to read. Postman is at least incredibly clear and accessible and it's a very good way into media ecology as a way of seeing and thinking about the world.

Well, I have to recommend Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death. I know that's a book that's been mentioned here before because I just feel like I have to recommend a media ecology book and McLuhan, God bless him, is so difficult to read. Postman is at least incredibly clear and accessible and it's a very good way into media ecology as a way of seeing and thinking about the world.

The second book would be Walter Lippmann's Public Opinion. And I think that was published in 1922. I really think Lippmann, despite his eventual turn against democracy, he sort of threw in the towel. I do think he understood the problems of democracy, especially in the post-industrial world. And whatever you think of his prescriptions, his diagnosis really holds up. So anyone thinking...

The second book would be Walter Lippmann's Public Opinion. And I think that was published in 1922. I really think Lippmann, despite his eventual turn against democracy, he sort of threw in the towel. I do think he understood the problems of democracy, especially in the post-industrial world. And whatever you think of his prescriptions, his diagnosis really holds up. So anyone thinking...

through these problems would do well to read Littman. The third book would be Thomas de Zengotida. So an anthropologist of all things, but he wrote a book called Mediated. And it's just a really lucid and well-written and kind of funny look at the consequences of living in a media-saturated society at the personal and the political level.

through these problems would do well to read Littman. The third book would be Thomas de Zengotida. So an anthropologist of all things, but he wrote a book called Mediated. And it's just a really lucid and well-written and kind of funny look at the consequences of living in a media-saturated society at the personal and the political level.

And I've always felt like it's a very underappreciated book. So I would recommend that. Sean Elling, thank you very much. Thanks for having me, Ezra.

And I've always felt like it's a very underappreciated book. So I would recommend that. Sean Elling, thank you very much. Thanks for having me, Ezra.