The Second part, Television focused on our ability to comprehend multiple plots, problems, or narratives and its growth. Much of this chapter concentrated on the change television viewers have gone through because of the cognitive demand the shows require. Shows now have forced people to think and fill in what you don't know. In other words television engages a persons mind. The last section was on the internet. Its focal point was the outlet the internet created allowing regular people to involve themselves in other aspects of culture through personal publishing, giving people new ways of thinking and a new medium of social interaction.
I found this book to be extremely interesting. It brought up some good points defending items of pop culture often seen as bad for the mind (I.E. the T.V. being called "the idiot box".) In the games section he brought up a great argument that many over look, they are giving the ability to make decisions and learn. His example of Simcity was a good anecdote to his point. In this instance we are learning by experience. At first hearing this claim i thought that it made sense but honestly how much education can be put in a video game, but as I read on he explained that we are not primarily learning facts we are instead grasping the ability to see what is in front of us, and make a decision. On page 41 of his book Johnson said:
“Far more than books or movies or music, games force you to make decisions. Novels may activate our imagination, and music may conjure up powerful emotions, but games force you to decide to choose, to prioritize. All the intellectual benefits of gaming derive from this fundamental virtue, because learning how to think is ultimately about learning to make the right decisions: weighing evidence, analyzing situations, consulting your long term goals, and then deciding. No other pop cultural form directly engages the brains decision-making apparatus in the same way.” I think this is an amazing idea. It shows what games can do that no other aspect of pop culture can. However I do not think that this is something people should rely on solely, although i agree this is a positive aspect of games, video games also have their share of negatives.
The section on television also brought up interesting evidence on how TV has changed the population for the better. The complexity of television shows has changed dramatically over the past 30 years, in the past the was one plot line for the audience to follow with no background knowledge to need but now shows have multiple "threads" all in one episode letting the audience think, work, and fill in the details. Telvision now places more reliance on the viewers attention and thought. Johnson said on page 64 of his book: "Recall the cognitive benefits conventionally ascribed to reading: attention, patience, retention, the parsing of narrative threads. Over the past half century of TV's dominance over mass culture, programing on TV has steadily increased the demands it places on precisely these mental facilities." This is the exact opposite to what is often said about TV. I am somewhat shocked and intrigued by this claim. It is a side that is greatly over looked. As strange it is to think about it is still true. People can and are learning from watching television. I think TV has been over looked as a viable educational tool because it doesn't show the learning as directly as reading but it does give its audience similar attribute to reading, which Johnson pointed out in this quote and chapter.
The main point Johnson was trying to get across in his internet section was that it has given people a place to discuss, interact, and engage with the world in a new way. I have no doubt that this is true, between the bloggers and discussion boards all over the virtual world the internet is defiantly a new place for people to connect and engage our minds. I also agree with his point that the internet has reversed the trend of other digital means where people are more engaged as In his book it is put as "The networked computer makes you lean in, focus engage while television encourages you to zone out." (118.) As true as this may be not all of the internet is about publishing one's thoughts. It is a collection of things, some games, some videos, some news, some shopping, and some blogs. Some of the Internet may "challenge our minds" but not all of it.
This book is contradicting "Feed" by M.T. Anderson because Johnson is talking about the pro's technology has whereas Feed is about how its leading us to our demise, and cultural collapse. The book Everything Bad is Good for You" talks about how the use of video games, television, and the internet has made us smarter, especially in our ability to analyze. Oppositely Feed argues that technology is making us dumber and more dependent on digital media. Something in Feed never mentioned in Everything Bad is Good for You was the affect the technology has on our outside environment (I.E. they must live in bubbles, can't swim in the ocean etc.) Johnson's book never mentioned what all this digitalization is doing to our environment. Both books are similar in one sense but different in another.
The section on television also brought up interesting evidence on how TV has changed the population for the better. The complexity of television shows has changed dramatically over the past 30 years, in the past the was one plot line for the audience to follow with no background knowledge to need but now shows have multiple "threads" all in one episode letting the audience think, work, and fill in the details. Telvision now places more reliance on the viewers attention and thought. Johnson said on page 64 of his book: "Recall the cognitive benefits conventionally ascribed to reading: attention, patience, retention, the parsing of narrative threads. Over the past half century of TV's dominance over mass culture, programing on TV has steadily increased the demands it places on precisely these mental facilities." This is the exact opposite to what is often said about TV. I am somewhat shocked and intrigued by this claim. It is a side that is greatly over looked. As strange it is to think about it is still true. People can and are learning from watching television. I think TV has been over looked as a viable educational tool because it doesn't show the learning as directly as reading but it does give its audience similar attribute to reading, which Johnson pointed out in this quote and chapter.
The main point Johnson was trying to get across in his internet section was that it has given people a place to discuss, interact, and engage with the world in a new way. I have no doubt that this is true, between the bloggers and discussion boards all over the virtual world the internet is defiantly a new place for people to connect and engage our minds. I also agree with his point that the internet has reversed the trend of other digital means where people are more engaged as In his book it is put as "The networked computer makes you lean in, focus engage while television encourages you to zone out." (118.) As true as this may be not all of the internet is about publishing one's thoughts. It is a collection of things, some games, some videos, some news, some shopping, and some blogs. Some of the Internet may "challenge our minds" but not all of it.
This book is contradicting "Feed" by M.T. Anderson because Johnson is talking about the pro's technology has whereas Feed is about how its leading us to our demise, and cultural collapse. The book Everything Bad is Good for You" talks about how the use of video games, television, and the internet has made us smarter, especially in our ability to analyze. Oppositely Feed argues that technology is making us dumber and more dependent on digital media. Something in Feed never mentioned in Everything Bad is Good for You was the affect the technology has on our outside environment (I.E. they must live in bubbles, can't swim in the ocean etc.) Johnson's book never mentioned what all this digitalization is doing to our environment. Both books are similar in one sense but different in another.
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