The Disappearance of Childhood

I was introduced to the writings of Neil Postman very recently and for that I am glad. He combines knowledge, great writing skills and the ability to prophesize about the future, and the result is always a powerful book that is usually way ahead of its time. This book is no exception.This is a very disturbing book, and what exasperates things is that the author seems to be right. It is easier to agree with this book today that it was when it was first published because many things that the author mentions have actually became true. The author describes how the idea of childhood first came about and shows that it was a necessary step in the evolution of man as a social animal. The author then goes on to tell the reader how this necessary idea is now disappearing. Children and adults dress the same way, they speak the same way and most importantly they have access to the same information. Ever parent should read this book to be aware of what too much information might do to children. I know that a lot of people might not agree with the main premises of the book, but I am sure that most parents will relate to it.

Wow. The first thing you need to realise on reading this book is how dated it is. It was written as a prediction of the future direction of American and western society - especially as regards the attitude to children and childhood but what comes across reading it 30 years later is a snapshot the late seventies. As such this book can be little more than a curiosity now but what a curious one it is. The problem with making largescale predictions is that it is impossible to know what lies ahead. Postman could not see, for example, Harry Potter, Japanese Manga, the internet, facebook or texting. He could not have imagine the rise of China or a world where children's literature (books written for kids) was the most profitable sector of the global book market.Postman is a conservative and a reactionary who privileges a specific type of literacy (the reading of the right kinds of books) over other equally valid literacies. Childhood under Postman's definition is not something that happened to kids in Africa or Asia or pre-colonial America and Australia it is a Europen phenomena tied to the fortunes of the printing press and therefore in great danger in our digital world. What nonsense. Childhood is much more robust than Postman gives it credit. It also exists in many more places.The most compelling reason to read this book is in it Postman exposes the right wing origins of such contemporary phenomena as the Let Kids Be Kids movement and a conservative political scene which places the interests of Families over the interests of Citizens. Postman's analysis of the dangers of TV and the early sexualisation of children has gone someway to dampen down my worries over these things. I am less opposed to censorship now than I was before I read this book. Childhood is a wonderful thing, and my own childhood was truly wonderful, but when it becomes the toll of idealogues or a prison for moulding a certain type of people then its day is done.

Written in 1982, "The Disappearance of Childhood" is prophetic in how it predicts the birth of the adult-child. In Neil Postman's analysis, "childhood" is a social construct, invented in response to the printing press revolution. Literacy was a clear dividing line between adults and children, and once "childhood" was invented adults felt also compelled to keep secrets from children. But with the advent of television and the dominance of the image of the word "childhood" is fast disappearing with terrible social consequences. When "childhood" disappears, so does "adulthood," so that in the age of television even adults no longer think in the nuanced and sophisticated way that defined adulthood in previous generations.This is not Postman's best work. It lack the fluency of prose and argument of his best books.

It isn't often anymore that I read something that pops my eyes wide open. Postman is always interesting, always thought provoking, but in this book, he had me outside my own box, looking back in. So seldom am I offered new ideas, new perspectives based on intelligent rersearch and analisys. And what he has to say here is a little chilling. His history of the existance of our idea of childhood was fascinating - but his warning for the immediate future is important and powerful. I might, myself, have titled the book The Disappearance of Adulthood - Postman's points here explain so much. Coupled with David Elkind's The Hurried Child and Brizendine's The Female Brain, this book sheds huge light on why things are happening in our homes, our culture, the world. Add a little research into the new work on adolescent brain chem, and suddenly, the way we have been doing things for our children springs serious holes. An engaging, pleasant read with thorns. Highly recommended to anybody who loves kids. We need to understand what to expect from them and ourselves.

This book by Neil Postman is well written in his usual accessible and informative style. The research and reasoning are very sound, and the book gets you thinking and reflecting on the social changes that have taken place since it was first published. As it says in the preface to the current edition, the topic and conclusions remain as relevant and true today as they were a couple of decades ago. And there is a lot to ponder in relation to the contemporary means of communication, mass media, and the nature of being a child and an adult. I think that this book sheds light on many practices that define people's relationships today, and gives a good understanding of how we have actually arrived at the point where we are now as a society.

Useful book to use in working with children and studying for Playwork and Childcare qualifications

I bought this book together with 'Toxic Childhood' by Sue Palmer. They are a well matched, complementary pair. Whereas Palmer's book is a 'how to' manual on the pitfalls of bringing up children in a society that is inimical to their well being and proper development, and contains lots of useful advice for parents and other adults, Postman's book provides a theoretical rationale for Palmer's viewpoint. Anyone who, on reading Palmer's book, is tempted to write her of as an illiberal fuddy-duddy should read Postman. 'The Disappearance of Childhood' was first published a quarter of a century ago, but is becoming (sadly) more up to date with every passing day. It's hard to pick any holes in this erudite and stylish account of how our social construction of childhood arrived with the printing press in the sixteenth century and is now being ushered out by twentieth century modes of electronic communication, leaving us with a society bereft of any special attitude towards children, a society that harks back to the dark and middle ages. The main culprit (of course) is television, but this is not just a rant against 'dumbing down'. (No, really; you'll just have to read it yourself.) As interesting as Postman's views on the 'adultification' of children is his notion of the 'childification' of adults. No-one can explain this better than Postman himself, so do give it a go. Even if you don't agree with everything Postman says, even if you find some of your own cherished ideas and values under attack, at least you won't be bored.

have red few other books that he wrote. All are worth reading.

gives you a good understanding of how modern education has had a negative effect on how youth deal with resposibilities

labours the point but priesecent