The Disappearance of Childhood Audiobook By Neil Postman cover art

The Disappearance of Childhood

 Preview

$0.00 for first 30 days

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

The Disappearance of Childhood

By: Neil Postman
Narrated by: Jeff Riggenbach
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $9.77

Buy for $9.77

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use, License, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

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. Child Psychology Children's Studies Developmental Psychology Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences Sociology Thought-Provoking Adult Children

Critic reviews

"Postman uses cogent arguments, sharp needles, and gentle humor to challenge listeners." (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Thought-provoking Thesis • Enlightening Perspective • Insightful Social Commentary
Highly rated for:
All stars
Most relevant  
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.

Dry but important

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The culture is killing America
Parents need to do something
&
The schools need to do better
Good book
Give it a listen

Parents & Schools need to do something

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is the 3rd book of postman i read. however i feel this is the easiest to digest

this is the best introduction to Postman

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This man has definitely pointed out things that have come to pass. He provided a great timeliness and evidence.

Time bears witness

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
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.

An incredible essay on history, education, and media

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book is a must-read for anyone concerned about todays youth. It is far more true now than perhaps it was even at the time of its composition in the late 1980s or early 90s. Parents, educators, youth ministers and others would do well to make this an essential part of their library. As Postman demonstrates, both childhood and adulthood are in many ways disappearing and just as alarmingly, reversing roles. #Intergenerational #Captivating #Creepy #Haunting #Depressing #TagsGiving #SweepStakes

A Haunting And Prophetic Discourse

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book was recommended by a Pakistani news reporter and I am glad I listened to it. Great information about media, childhood, social norms, history etc. I recommend it. 👍🏼😊

Great book on media

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book was truly Enlightening in that it opened my eyes to how pervasive the death of childhood has become in our society.

Enlightening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a great book. It gives a perspective not before considered by most about our use of technology.

Insightful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
He rambles at some points but has man great points showing childhood leaving. He has historical information about where childhood came from that I would have never thought of wondering.

Its outdated but the facts are the same

Enlightening

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews