Everything Bad Is Good for You by Steven Johnson challenges the ideal that video games, television shows, and other forms of popular entertainment in our present society are dangerous to Americans' memory, judgment, reasoning and moral development. Johnson argues to the contrary that its actually engaging, thorough, and the wide range of influences allows our brains to develop in a way that was never possible before.
Johnson's argument is called the "Sleeper Curve" ,which means that as popular entertainment trends upward, so much so that today's pop-culture consumer, us, has to make even more snap decisions and coming up with long-term strategies than ever before. Johnson makes a very clear and compelling argument that even today's so called "TV junk" and "cause of America's cultural decline" is more complex and engaging, in terms of plot then any other shows really to come before it,Johnson states "the content is less interesting than the cognitive work the show elicits from your mind."
I could really relate to Johnson's argument that even though modern entertainment may appear "dumbed down", it isn't, and in fact our brains are being made to work harder, get more exercise to develop higher "cognitive functions" . Simply the ability to be able to interact with more then one form of entertainment at the same time on a daily basis and learning to switch between them has a incredible effect on our mental capabilities.
I'm not surprised that this book is being challenged, it does have many faults, but also some very strong arguments that if we take a look at , we might develop a new view on entertainment.I believe it won't be long until society as a whole is made to atleast at its worse appreciate the wide range of influences that allows our brains to develop in a way that was never possible before.Tho Feed by M.T. Anderson contradicts the idea offered by Everything Bad Is Good for You by Steven Johnson , they both our getting at the same point, that is not so much what the technology is but so much that its how we use it, how we relate to it, how we fit it into our daily lives.
I liked your blog post, even made me understand stuff i hadn't understood when i read it like what "The Sleeper's curve" thought it had to do with actual sleeping. Your blog shows you truly understood what Johnson was saying and connected with them as well. I really like how you connected Johnson's book and feed because i really didn't think thay did but now I get the connection. I agree some of his points are strong but like you said it's a little faulty so makes you still think when will people look at technology as good then the usual bad and what a waste of time it is?? maybe you could talked a little bit more of the other points he talks about like of video games. But overall like your posts, they are insightful. Good Job
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