The Disappearance of Childhood

By: Neil Postman

Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach

From the vogue for nubile models to the explosion in the juvenile crime rate, this modern classic of social history and media traces the precipitous decline of childhood in America today, and the corresponding threat to the notion of adulthood.

Deftly marshaling a vast array of historical and demographic research, Neil Postman suggests that childhood is a relatively recent invention, which came into being as the new medium of print imposed divisions between children and adults. But now these divisions are eroding under the barrage of television, which turns the adult secrets of sex and violence into popular entertainment and pitches both news and advertising at the intellectual level of 10-year-olds. Informative, alarming, and aphoristic, The Disappearance of Childhood is a triumph of history and prophecy.

©1982 Neil Postman (P)1996 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"Postman uses cogent arguments, sharp needles, and gentle humor to challenge listeners." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Parents & Schools need to do something

The culture is killing America
Parents need to do something
&
The schools need to do better
Good book
Give it a listen

this is the best introduction to Postman

This is the 3rd book of postman i read. however i feel this is the easiest to digest

Time bears witness

This man has definitely pointed out things that have come to pass. He provided a great timeliness and evidence.

Dry but important

This book suffered a bit from being too academic and dry but it was very interesting. While severely dated in content it is obvious what direction the society has gone since the 80s in terms of the concept of Childhood. The book offers few answers but provokes reflection on the society at large trying to kill the idea of childhood.

An incredible essay on history, education, and media

Mindbending and extremely accessible. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that has left me with this many thoughts to grapple with. I was blown away by the author’s thesis about the impact of print, school, and media through the centuries. What an incredible wide-sweeping historical essay. I believe that a great deal of the books’s theories about TV apply directly to social media as well. An incredibly relevant read.