9/11 and Desensitization
I’ve been doing some reading on Amusing Ourselves to Death, and although it is a class assignment, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Basically, it’s about television and its various influences on politics, education, etc. Actually, I had the opportunity to read an excerpt of it last school year, and since then I’ve tried to remove myself from TV altogether, which is now why I can’t fathom the use of television under any circumstances.
Anyway, part of Postman’s thoughts was the idea that TV desensitizes us, and that topics which should be taken seriously are given little to no thought, which brings me to my point.
As I write this, my mother is standing in front of the TV watching home videos on Lifetime - not just any home videos, mind you, but recordings from 9/11. Personally, I can’t stomach watching them, so I’ve removed myself from the room, but she continues to be engrossed in the footage.
Her thoughts are not focused on the tragedy, the chaos - she’s not contemplating and recalculating her life, and her memories aren’t flashing before her eyes as she realizes how thankful she is for such an average, painless life.
“It’s like watching a movie.” She says.
And that’s the end of it.
