Johnson Has a Point

Steven Johnson provides a unique look at the media. He addresses it as a good and positive thing, rather than a way to make us lazy. His sleeper curve is very interesting and at first, I thought that he was crazy and wrong for taking this side. However, after reading his book, Everything Bad Is Good For You, I think that his argument for his sleeper curve is true and is correct in many ways.

Steven Johnson addresses all type of media, internet, television, videogames and film. He says of the older television shows, “The earlier shows follow one or two characters, adhere to a single dominant plot and reach a decisive conclusion at the end of the episode.” (Johnson 66) He is speaking of the popular television shows Starsky and Hutch and Dragnet. These shows were not very complicated and did not require too much thought. The shows today he says “…many popular television dramas today feature dense webs of relationships…” (Johnson 109) when talking about his character webs. Now today, most all television shows and even movies, have all the characters connected in some way and these “Character Webs” are very intense and confusing. Also, the many “Multithreads” in shows make the viewer think and pay attention. These two aspects show how different today’s shows are. I agree they make us think in different ways and use our brains differently than in the past.

I would agree that these shows and the new aspects of media make us think and help our intelligence. However, I do not feel that this is the sole reason why people are intelligent. There are other ways of gaining intelligence like going to school or even reading a book. The media I think has enhanced our intelligence in new ways, but I do not think it makes a huge difference either way. If you watch television or play videogames that does not mean you are smarter than somebody who does not. And if you read books, that does not mean you are smarter than somebody who does not read. The media helps us in many ways, but it is not the sole reason why someone is considered “smart” or “dumb.”