Response to Johnson
Steve Johnson through out his book Everything Bad For You Is Good For You gives his well thought out opinion on how television, games, and the internet are complex and are helping us to think more. Johnson describes the SleeperCurve as challenging our minds rather than going for a cheap thrill. I do watch television alot and am on the internet alot, so I understand what Johnson is saying. Throughout Johnsons book there were some amazing points that I agree with, but there are some that I find I don't agree with.
I like watching television just as much as the next person, but I do believe if you sit on your couch and watch too much you will become a couch patato. While there are some complex television shows that sometimes you have to watch more than once to understand, I think there are more television show that are there to just catch the viewers attention and to get high ratings. The mulit threads or many plots in one episode, that Johnson describes do make television more complex.
Johnson tells how character mapping makes the show more complex and how television is steering away from flashing arrows. Character mapping is where you connect the different characters in the plot together and flashing arrows are signs that help you predict what will happen next. I can see where the Character mapping is making the show more complex.
Johnson tells how telescoping and probing help to make video games more complex and make you think. Probing is when you are just getting a game or start a new level, and you are trying to figure out your surroundings. While in a way you are trying to gain new knowledge, I don't find probing to really be making the video game more complex.
Johnson gives good points and I have read other reaadings that go against Johnson. Right now I am still not sure what to think if these mediums are making us smarter or not.