The Shift from Books to Television

The invention of the printing press and the rise of literacy fostered a "typographic mind," characterized by prolonged focus and engagement with complex ideas. However, the shift towards television as a primary medium of communication led to a decline in these cognitive abilities.

Historically, the Lincoln-Douglas debates (1858) and the Kennedy-Nixon debates (1960) exemplify this shift. The former, consumed primarily through written text, demanded sustained attention and the ability to follow complex arguments. The latter, tailored for television, prioritized brevity and visual appeal.