Watching Tv Makes You Smarter

Watching Tv Makes You Smarter
Watching TV Makes You Smarter
In his essay "Watching TV Makes You Smarter", Steven Johnson– an author specializing in media, pop culture and technology – claims that watching
TV is actually healthy for the viewers ' mind as contemporary television requires more cognitive thinking than it did previously. Johnson supported his
claim by explaining about his sleeper curve throughout the essay. "The most debased forms of mass diversion – video games, violent television dramas
and juvenile sitcoms that we think is bad turn out to be nutritional for us after all" illustrates the meaning of his sleeper curve. (121) Nowadays,
parents do not allow children to watch TV because they think that the TV shows are not helpful for their children, and they may be affected by the
terrible scenes. Johnson argued that the shows from back then till now have improved greatly and beneficial for kids instead. Johnson may be right
that watching TV makes us smarter and it shows us what really happens in life. However, people may sometimes get addicted to the TV shows, stay
inside and watch ridiculous, pointless television shows instead of the shows that will benefit them. The good and bad sides of television shows
depend on what kind of TV shows it is and completely up to the person who are watching it.
First of all, Johnson highlighted his main idea of contemporary television increases intelligence and exercises more cognitive thinking, thus making us
smarter. He stated that the sleeper curve is a
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The Effects of Violent Media on Children, Adolescence, and...
The Effects of Violent Media on Children, Adolescence, and Adults
Cheri Burns
COM/220
August 17, 2011
Mary McWilliams
The Effects of Violent Media on Children, Adolescence, and Adults
Violence in every form of media is a part of daily life. Children of all ages all over the world are being affected by violence in one form or another. This
paper is focusing on television and gaming that children are engaged in. There have been many studies looking at this problem and ways to prevent
children from being negatively affected. Children at as young as five years old are exhibiting aggressive behavior as a result of seeing violent
behavior in cartoons and regular television. Some of these children as they grow up will become more ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
* 58% of kids admit someone has said something mean or hurtful online, more than 4 in 10 have had it happen more than once.
These acts happening are with young children, and it gets worse as they get older. The graphs below are based on 4th graders; imagine when they
reach adolescence and adulthood.
(Cyber Bullying: Statistics and Tips, 2011)
Adolescence Adolescence are exposed to several media outlets which may fuel their aggression. Lyrics of a song, television, websites, and gaming are
the main sources of entertainment for these young people. Although, they are all considered entertainment, these outlets can be dangerous for our
young people's minds. There have been studies done on these youth primarily from age 14 to 17 due to the rise in violence from people in this age
range. This age is difficult to manage, with peer pressure and hormones these kids are very vulnerable. Instead of being outside and doing the
activities kids were engaged in before the age of cell phones and internet, these kids are held up in their home feeding their minds with all types of
violent media. Teen violence is a problem in America, as well as around the world. While this may be a debated issue, it is very clear to most
ordinary people that there is a relation between media and aggressive behavior. "Teen violence erupts in a number of ways. It can be directed at
inanimate objects, at other people, at animals, or at the

Are Todays Tv Shows Making Us Smarter?
Are Todays TV Shows Making Us Smarter? I recently read an essay written by American author Steven Johnson entitled Watching TV Makes You
Smarter. Millions of Americans who are engrossed in today's TV programming might be surprised at the concept. You see, for years, sitting down to
watch TV was thought of as a lazy way to turn off your brain and veg out (to spend time idly or passively). (Britannica) While this may still be true,
Johnson argues that the increased complexity in today's TV shows forces us to become intellectually involved as opposed to merely entertained. The
idea of TV increasing our intelligence would be a fantastic idea to most viewers. Dana Stevens (movie critic for Slate Magazine) offered a rebuttal in
response to Johnson's piece, struggling to make sense of his claims in her piece Thinking Outside the Idiot Box. Just from her title of describing the
television as an 'Idiot Box", you can easily guess her thoughts on the subject. I believe that Johnson has presented some very intriguing evidence to
back his claims while Stevens' rebuttal offers little to no evidence to the contrary. Steven Johnson bases his argument on the observation of increased
complexity we have seen in TV shows over the last thirty plus years. In spite of this, most critics continue to argue that TV has a way of dumbing
down our culture. Instead of focusing on the aspects of values, violence, sexual content, and obscenity in TV, Johnson focuses on how much mental
work is required

Watching Tv Makes You Smarter -Steven Johnson Essay
Watching TV Makes You Smarter
By STEVEN JOHNSON
The Sleeper Curve
SCIENTIST A: Has he asked for anything special?
SCIENTIST B: Yes, this morning for breakfast . . . he requested something called ''wheat germ, organic honey and tiger's milk.''
SCIENTIST A: Oh, yes. Those were the charmed substances that some years ago were felt to contain life–preserving properties.
SCIENTIST B: You mean there was no deep fat? No steak or cream pies or . . . hot fudge?
SCIENTIST A: Those were thought to be unhealthy.– From Woody Allen's ''Sleeper''
n Jan. 24, the Fox network showed an episode of its hit drama ''24,'' the real–time thriller known for its cliffhanger tension and often– gruesome
violence. Over the preceding weeks, a number ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
I happen to be sympathetic to that argument, but it's not the one I want to make here. I think there is another way to assess the social virtue of pop
culture, one that looks at media as a kind of cognitive workout, not as a series of life lessons. There may indeed be more ''negative messages'' in the
mediasphere today. But that's not the only way to evaluate whether our television shows or video games are having a positive impact. Just as important
–– if not more important –– is the kind of thinking you have to do to make sense of a cultural experience. That is where the Sleeper Curve becomes
visible.
Televised Intelligence
Consider the cognitive demands that televised narratives place on their viewers. With many shows that we associate with ''quality'' entertainment ––
''The Mary Tyler Moore Show,'' ''Murphy Brown,'' ''Frasier''–– the intelligence arrives fully formed in the words and actions of the characters
on–screen. They say witty things to one another and avoid lapsing into tired sitcom cliches, and we smile along in our living rooms, enjoying the
company of these smart people. But assuming we're bright enough to understand the sentences they're saying, there's no intellectual labor involved in
enjoying the show as a viewer. You no more challenge your mind by watching these intelligent shows than you challenge your body watching ''Monday

Night Football.'' The intellectual work is

Neil Postman 's An Internet Age Response
Thirty years ago, Neil Postman argued that with TV, we are "amusing ourselves to death." More recently, in an Internet
–age response to Postman,
opposing author Steven Johnson argues that "everything bad is good for you," including video games, television, Internet, and film.
Neil Postman builds his argument by breaking down television into its component parts: photographs and the telegraph. He argues that both of these
media inherently decontextualize their content. Photographs are inherently out of context. They can be nothing else. The content is photographed so
that it can be viewed in a different context at a later time. Far from picturing a figure and its background, the photo combines both into one object. The
context becomes content. Instead, words provide meaningful context to explain the pictures. This is why newspaper photographs have captions. The
telegraph, TV 's other component, dislocates events from geography. It takes information from a context where it is pertinent, meaningful, and relevant
and removes it to a location where it has little or no import. Only rarely will this information affect the daily life of the far–off reader. Thus, primarily
it is simply interesting, but it is not relevant. It 's entertainment with an alias: News. By combining these irrelevant events with those context–less
images, the television is inherently a decontextualizing agent itself. Try watching the television news without sound and imagine watching it without
captions.

Human Resource Management Project
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Introduction2
2. People Management3 2.1. Line–managers training program4 2.2. Motivating line managers6
3. Diverse Workforce6 3.1. Importance of Diverse Workforce7 3.2. Challenges of Cultural Diversity8
4. Teamwork Training10
5. Evaluation and Appraisal12
6. Conclusion13
APPENDIX14 Teamwork training course14 Budget26
REFERENCES26
Introduction
People Management
Line managers play an important role in the management of any organization, including Zabsang Hotel. They are the middle–level management who
employees directly report to and also have responsibility to a higher management level for those staff. (Idea ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
|
| | | |How to speak and write more clearly. |
| | | |Use Affirmative language |
| | | |Questioning skills |
| | | |How to communicate in different cultural environment |
| |15:00 – 15:30 |Tea/ coffee break |To everybody take a rest |
| | | |Chatting together |
| | | |Understanding each other more |
| |15:30 – 17:00 |How to give constructive criticism |Understanding about negotiation |
| | | |Be objective and specific |
| | | |How to behave and balance in case

Wrongful Convictions : The Reid Technique
Wrongful Convictions – The Reid Technique
When questioning witnesses of a crime, detectives may choose a specific technique; one technique is the Reid Technique. The Reid Technique is a
multi–step questioning method that pressures the witnesses or the accused to admit to the crime. It is used in North America. According to Professor
Brent Snook, a psychologist at the Memorial University in Newfoundland, the Reid Technique is "Starsky and Hutch", where two hot head detectives
"beat up" their suspects to encourage them confess (http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11/25
/youre–guilty–now–confess–false–admissions–put–polices–favourite–interrogation–tactic–under–scrutiny/). This paper will examine the steps of the
Reid Technique, as well as reveal substantial evidence that this technique should be banned. This technique has led to false confessions. Not only does
this mean that someone has been punished that isn't guilty, but it also means the real criminal has not been found and punished. The arguments against
the use of this technique are the following:
a)This technique violates section 11(d) Charter of Rights and Freedom. The accused is not truly presumed innocent until proven guilty. (http:/
/publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/CH37–4–3–2002E.pdf)
b)This method of questioning is coersive and manipulative.
c)This technique is dishonest as investigators may lie about evidence.
Before providing reasons to abolish the Reid Technique, it is essential to understand

Elizabeth Glaser Research Paper
In 1981 an epidemic occurred that affected mostly homosexual men. The first few cases came in with a rare type of pneumonia. The virus would be
known as HIV and the disease would be later called AIDS. In the same year Elizabeth Glaser contracted the virus through a blood transfusion. She took
a stand for the people who lived with AIDS by creating a research foundation, speaking out in interviews and wanting everyone to have health care she
was not only able to bring awareness to the disease her foundation has helped millions of mothers and children receive treatment for HIV and AIDS.
Elizabeth Glaser and her two friends Susie Zeegen and Susan DeLaurentis began the Pediatric AIDS Foundation in 1988. According to the foundation's
website, it began after Elizabeth lost her daughter, Ariel, at age seven to AIDS–related illness. It only takes one child to make a person choose on what
to do next. Glaser chose to advocate for research for children with AIDS, even though she went through the loss of her child. In 1990 the Glasers ask
Congress to provide funding to test HIV drugs on children because of the lack of research (Pedaids Website). She fought against the conservatism of
the government because she did not want her son to die of the disease. She also could understand the fear families were going through because their
children ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Congress passed the Research Equity Act, this law increased the number of drugs tested and labeled for the use in children (Pedaids Website). This law
helped by letting them test their treatments on children that were seen to have good effects on adults. It also gave hope to the parents that have
children living with AIDS. The foundation that is now called the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has more than 6,000 health facilities
around the world (Pedaids Website). This shows that the foundation helped millions of women and children receive

Holmes And Watson Research Paper
There are a string of dynamic duos that fight crime throughout history, from Batman and Robin to Starsky and Hutch, and somewhere along the list
is the pairing of Sherlock Holmes and Watson and there is no doubt that this pairing is an interesting one. They seem like such opposites but that is a
big factor in why they work so well together. It works because it embodies the old time saying: "opposites attract". Sherlock is this detective genius
that does not feel things or really understand the people around him so he has Watson to fall back on. In a way they teach each other. Holmes helps
Watson become a better detective while Watson teaches Holmes how to interact with the outside world. It is said that this pairing was one of Doyle's
greatest... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
It would only take a few pages for the brilliant Sherlock Holmes to solve the mystery and tell his readers his decision. Also with the way he speaks
and his mannerisms most people might not even be able to translate Holmes's language into something the everyday populous can understand. This
means that the risk of the stories fading out and never being remembered is a very real possibility. On the other side of the coin, if everything was
only seen and told from Watson's point of view there would not be a very mysterious element about it. For example, when he is staying with Sir
Henry at the moor the story seems to drag because he only notices the obvious things that seem to be odd. If this was all the story had to offer the
audience might dislike Watson just as much as they would a solo Holmes. Some things that work well together do not work very well apart. This
pairing is definitely one of those

Human Resource Management Project
TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Introduction2
2. People Management3 2.1. Line–managers training program4 2.2. Motivating line managers6
3. Diverse Workforce6 3.1. Importance of Diverse Workforce7 3.2. Challenges of Cultural Diversity8
4. Teamwork Training10
5. Evaluation and Appraisal12
6. Conclusion13
APPENDIX14 Teamwork training course14 Budget26
REFERENCES26
Introduction
People Management
Line managers play an important role in the management of any organization, including Zabsang Hotel. They are the middle–level management who
employees directly report to and also have responsibility to a higher management level for those staff. (Idea from: ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
| | |Agree and delegate project actions |
| | | |Manage and motivate |
| | | |Check, measure, monitor, review project progress |
| | | |Complete project |
| | | |Project follow–up |
| |15:00 – 15:30 |Tea/ coffee break |To everybody take a rest |
| | | |Chatting together |
| | | |Understanding each other more |
| |15:30 – 17:00 |Team building activities ides |The psychological contract, work/life alignment |
| | | |Organizational development |

| |

Masculinity Issues In Policing Essay
Before discussing what traits lead to problems in policing, we must first identify the problems in the first place. One problem that comes to mind is
Corruption. Despite recruiter's best efforts to weed out the "rotten apples" or those susceptible to attaining any personality trait that could be a problem
in the long run, many will still serve and have traits such as authoritarianism, suspiciousness, brutality, ultraconservatism and so on. We have touched
base in lesson notes many times on such personality traits and how they effect the community in terms of public confidence and whether these traits
allow an individual to act in a lawful manner. To me, all these traits lead to other traits. It leads to a whole new policing "culture," and that culture...
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Both men and women officers hold macho value and attitudes in terms of the stereotypical "tough guy." Although there are problematic traits in the
police force, many individuals hold traits which give them the upper hand over their follow officers.
Being the stereotypical tough guy includes behavioral traits such as control, dominance, and lack of sentimentality. Masculinity is a cultural trait in
which individuals are not born with. It is a cultural norm where you have to display your masculinity in ways such as their behavior for one, the
clothing they wear and the way they talk. In terms of women and femininity, most try to prove themselves to men. The Police have a lot of power
"[they have the ability to save lives but many chose to abuse that power by "owning" citizens of the state that they live in, with their badge, they
have the power to verbally disrespect, the power to say things such as stop or put your hands up]" (Huffingtonpost). Officers have the ability to arrest
individuals without proper evidence or cause. In our lesson notes, despite Starsky and Hutch being a form of media depicting police officers in a way
in which is unrealistic, a lot of their scenes depicted traits in which officers in

Everything Bad Is Good For You By Steven Johnson
In "Everything Bad Is Good For You," Steven Johnson discusses why and how he believes today's popular culture is actually making us smarter,
rather than dumbing us down. Johnson has his book split into two different parts, focusing mainly on the first part of his book, he talks about the ways
people consume media and how it has become more complex and challenging over the years. The title headings for each sub–chapters are – Video
Games, Television, Internet, and Movies. Within each subchapter he uses a vast number of examples from each section to support his argument. The
biggest part the first chapter is dedicated to video games. Johnston suggests that when video games were first released that people thought they made
us dumber and wasted our mind's skills. He uses the example about how if video games had arrived before books, we would be more hesitant
towards books. We would be looking at the negative aspects of book reading and how they are isolating, under–stimulating and do not engage enough.
Stating that we use books to test cognitive benefits – attention, memory, focus and following threads, Johnston goes into a detail about how video
games uses all these skills and more. He uses examples from Tetris, Pac–Man, SimCity200 and even The Legend of Zelda. Continuing his argument
that video games engage us more that any other media our there at the moment, he acknowledges how to reward system and the desire to explore in
video games keep us engaged. No other form of

Autobiography, A Life : Snoop Dogg, Myth, A Life
Snoop Dogg, a Life Snoop Dogg. The man, the myth, the legend. A rapper from the West Coast, whom had received given some of life's sourest
lemons and turning them into something that resembles lemonade. This man has traveled a long and difficult road, finally leading to his lifelong
dream. This dream starting after his founding by Dr. Dre in the early 90's. Zero to none could have predicted that he would he would become
something more than a gangster from the hood. Even considering that he was basically a cofounder of gangster rap itself, with millions of record
sales, and an expansive career as an actor/director, the chances were highly unlikely. And that's only scratching the surface, after all everyone has a
history behind their life. From bad encounters with law enforcement to his self rediscovery of being a reggae artist. Snoop Doggs story is far from
over, so what will this icon surprise us with next? Snoop Dogg, conceived as Cordozar Broadus Jr.(after his stepfather) in Long Beach, California, on
October 20, 1971. Snoop enjoyed being raised by his mother, Beverly Tate, and his father, Vernell Varnado. The nickname "Snoop Dogg" was
originally derived from his mother because of his hilarious resemblance to Snoopy on the well known Peanuts cartoon. Snoop had always been
musically gifted, being as he played the piano in his hometown's church, leading his way musically to rap in the sixth grade. Snoop enjoyed the fun of
athletics while he played football from the 6th–8th grade. He attended Long Beach Polytechnic, as did the famous actor Cameron Diaz. After his high
school years, Snoop proceeded to be arrested for drug possessions, multiple times, and even spent time in prison. He was also affiliated with a gang
known as the "Rollin' 20 Crips" back then. Music became an outlet for his problems and he even recorded early demos with his relative Nate Dogg
and a lifelong friend, Warren G(both of which had attended the same high school). A song on one of their albums was discovered by Dr. Dre, who
invited Snoop to an audition. After that, the two worked together on a song named " Deep Cover"; and Snoop Dogg became a huge part of Dre's
massively successful first solo album, The Chronic, in 1992. Consequently,

Is Pop Culture Good Or Bad?
Everyone is surrounded by popular culture in our society today. It is everywhere. From watching TV, to reading magazines, being on social media, and
just browsing the internet. Popular culture is the entirety of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images, and other phenomena that are within the mainstream
of a given culture. The question is popular culture good or bad?
Pop Culture has a great impact on our society of today. The main problem with pop culture is that some people think that it can dumb us down, and
also that it promotes violence in today's youth. It could actually do the exact opposite. Pop Culture is just another thing to learn about in life. It could
actually help us think more complex to figure out what is going to happen in the next episode in your favorite TV show. It could even have the youth
reading at an early age just to figure out what is happening in the magazines, and to be able to text their friends. Also it could help us learn more about
the issues in today's world through the use of browsing the internet. The main issues that will be covered through this paper are: how modern TV can
enlighten the audience, the use of social media in political movements, and the effects on how pop culture can educate the youth of today. To begin
with we will look at the issue of how modern TV can enlighten the audience. The author Stephen Johnson makes the argument of how TV is more
complex, therefore it makes you smarter, in his article "Watching TV

Gucci Guilty : The New Chapter
Gucci Guilty: The New Chapter [Noir Edit, full version] For this essay I will be analysing Gucci Guilty – The New Chapter [Noir Edit] full version.
This essay will look closely at the semiotics and decoded messages within the advert, and what the unique selling point of the product is for the target
audience. 'Semiotics emerged from linguistics – which is the study of the one type of sign system: language. Linguists, such as Ferdinand de Saussure,
observed that language is a system of signs that express idea in much the same way as other sign systems such as writing, morse code, smoke signals
and more' Television: A Media Student's Guide (1998:257). Advertising in media uses semiotics in order for the target demographic to understand the
...
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This is especially true in the advert and in most fragrance adverts, that having this particular fragrance will make you wanted by the opposite sex.
The term hypodermic needle is used because of how the producer injects the media text, or in this case encodes, and we the audience decode it and
have a desire to want more like an addiction. As seeing somebody use a product and it is made to seem a desire, the more that person will want that
product and try it themselves. The introduction to the advert begins with the letters G and C fusing together to create the logo. Whilst the advert
itself has both a male and female protagonist, driving fast and dangerously towards each other, we see a beautiful female with big bright red lips
driving an automobile; the male is driving a motorbike. The red lips of the female represent a lot of things, as red is a powerful colour in media. The
red lips, fast car and tight leather tell the audience that this is a woman who likes to live dangerously, whilst also remaining beautiful and attractive to
males. The male who is a well–known actor, driving a motorcycle at a fast speed whilst also wearing leather, and when he breaks fire emits from his
tyres which also represent that his is in charge. He smells the air around him and it cuts to the female who pulls the auto–mobile to a halt and leave her
vehicle to do the same. As Gucci make fragrance this already tell the audience that this advert is connected to this.

Watching Tv Makes You Smarter Analysis
Popular Culture has always been, and will continue to be, stereotyped. Authors of articles such as Watching TV Makes You Smarter by Steven Johnson
and Extra Lives by Tom Bissell, on the other hand, work towards proving a counter argument. Both men assert facts and opinions meant to influence
their readers, critics, and perhaps each other. Specifically, Bissell influences Johnson in that he provides an example of Johnson's idea of increasing
intellect in mass media, shows insight into video games through emotion while Johnson uses reason to address broader topics, and also provide
corresponding opinions on storytelling in general. Through Fall Out Three and imagery of plot lines in shows such as Hill Street Blues, their
arguments compliment... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
His graphs to show to difference in plot between Dragnet and Hill Street Blues summarize his main points clearly: that television is becoming more
complex and because show–watching populus must keep up with those complexities, television has a positive effect on society. He states, "Think of the
cognitive benefits conventionally ascribed to reading: attention, patience, retention, the parsing of narrative threads. Over the last half–century,
programming on TV has increased the demands in places on precisely these mental faculties" (Johnson 280). While there is a vast difference
between the world inside a book and the world inside cable television, there is an evidently higher demand in those categories. Television used to
consist (as according to Johnson's examples) of one basic plotline from start to finish. Over time, plot lines began to become increasing crisscrossed
and jagged. When talking of seventies television, he stated that, "The modern viewer who watches a show like Dallas today will be bored by the
content – not just because the show is less salacious than today's soap operas but also because the show contains far less info in each scene" (Johnson
292). To summarize, television from decades past contains less information in each episode, it is also less entertaining to the modern viewer for that
reason. Yet, Johnson's argument is incomplete without actual studies aside from logical observations alone, and that is how Bissell influences Johnson
once

Steven Johnson Everything Bad Is Good For You Analysis
Introduction
In "Everything Bad Is Good for You" Steven Johnson is arguing about different forms of entertainment such as television, video games, films and the
Internet that has grown increasingly complex over the past several decades which also corresponds to an increase in the average IQ scores in the U.S.
The introduction summarizes various cultural criticisms regarding entertainment by focusing mostly on television. Johnson uses the springboard to state
his thesis that of popular culture is becoming more complex and that complexity is also making consumers of pop culture more intelligent. The author
is describing the sleeper curve as Everything Bad proves that people are getting smarter because the media is getting more wide and complex. ... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Author argues that Current shows on TV have more complex narratives, trust viewers to catch subtle references and have denser social networks.
Johnson compares "Dragnet" to "Starsky and Hutch" to "Hill Street Blues" to "The Sopranos" to show the evolving complexity of narratives in
television dramas. Even the reality TV is the easiest target around and is more complex compared to its historical game show. The author has
divided and valued internet in three ways i.e. by virtue of being participatory, by forcing users to learn new interfaces and by creating new channels
for social interaction. He also providing a laundry list of online interactions that bring people together and make them smarter. He has agreed to the
proposition that movies have undergone the same transformation as television. His evidence has shown an increase in the number of characters to be
found in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy compared to the original "Star Wars" trilogy. The other main evidence is the development of a sub
–genre of
films he calls "mind–benders" typified by Kaufman works like "Being John Malkovich". Under the games section Johnson talks about video games
and how are they not bad in real life. Since the time he was introduced to games he was hooked because of how the games made his mind work that
too in a positive way. Games include various skills and experiences and so why people are so captivated by video games such as flashy graphics,
interactivity, and sex and violence. He's making a point by saying that even though video games contain negative contents like violence and sex but it
shouldn't be considered to be completely bad thing. He counts on the positive effects of video games and how it works for the mind such as improving
our decision–making skills and social relationships. Johnson finds the fact fascinating that so much thought and programming is put into some of these
games and that gaming

Steven Johnson Research Paper
Mother always said that watching TV or playing videogames is bad for you and will kill brain cells, but Steven Johnson disagrees. Johnson has
composed a theory that watching certain types of TV shows can actually increase a person's cognitive ability. He coined the term "The Sleeper
Curve," and with this, he claims that even the most violent or juvenile dramas can be "nutritional." After reading his arguments, I can say I agree
with him completely. However, I believe Johnson should have touched more on videogames as well. Videogames stimulate a person's mind more than
watching TV. The first point Johnson brings up is the idea of complexity in a plot. Referencing older shows, he uses Starsky and Hutch as an example
with no depth. It has a couple main characters and a single plot line that is followed the entire time with a very standard buildup to a climax and
conclusion. Alternately, as a more complex... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
While most shows don't use this exact technique, many shows use a character or a monologue to ask a question viewers would have about a concept.
These "arrows" are most prevalent in medical shows like ER or House because the general population doesn't know what spina bifida or avascular
necrosis are, but having the watered–down version for the sake of the show helps viewers sympathize with the characters. In the process of this, the
audience is learning different terms, and while they probably won't remember the name or be able to diagnose someone, they could recognize the name
of the condition if they heard it again. Giving the viewer more confusing topics makes them think about what is currently happening instead of them
trying to guess what is going to happen

Steven Johnson's Essay: Does Television Make You Smarter?
Does television make you smarter? Well, it does all but that unless you're watching educational shows of course. Television is a large part of the
American society and has influenced us tremendously. It unites others to watch, it helps commercialize for companies, entertains, it excites, it makes
time go by, and even can make you obese. It is very hard to avoid and easily addicting. Steven Johnson in his article "Watching TV Makes You
Smarter" he stands by that the television now due to its complexity it makes you think thus making you smarter he uses many examples of television
shows that make you smarter one of the examples was the show 24. I was able to watch season one episode twenty–three of the action thriller 24 and
get an idea of what it was about. When I watched the episode of 24 I realized that in fact, Johnson was right about how complex the show was. There
were many characters and plot lines in the episode which switches from scene to scene. As Johnson states "... the episode connects the lives of 21
district characters, each with a clearly defined "story arc," as the Hollywood jargon has it: a defined personality with motivations and obstacles and
specific relationships with other characters. Nine primary narrative threads wind their way through ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Johnson wants his readers to believe that watching television now gives viewers a mental exercise by having to follow multiple plots and characters.
"... to keep up with entertainment like 24, you have to pay attention make inferences, track shifting social relationships. This is what I call the sleeper
curve" (Johnson 214–215). Johnson goes on to say that the sleeper curve "is largely a force for good: enhancing our cognitive faculties, not dumbing
them down"

Everything Bad Is Good For You Analysis
Steven Johnson's book, Everything Bad Is Good For You, paints a modern picture of the way in which technology has affected us in a mostly positive
way. Johnson has also written about neuroscience, computer technology, and media studies in his previous books. In his book Everything Bad Is Good
For You, Johnson uses comparisons between two different eras oftelevision to point out the varying complexities between the simple plotlines of older
TV, and the highly complex plotlines of modern TV. For example, people can watch television dramas such as 24, which in comparison to older shows
are many times more complicated and more difficult to understand. If the much less complicated show Hill Street Blues confused the developing TV
audiences of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Modern Television has become much more complicated according to Johnson. For example, Johnson writes, "Draw an 5 outline of the narrative
threads in almost every Dragnet episode and it will be a single line" (66). However "A Hill Street Blues episode complicates the picture in a number
of profound ways. The narrative weaves together a collection of distinct strands– sometimes as many as ten" (67). Johnson uses these examples of older
and newer television shows to support his claim of the increased complexity of modern TV as opposed to the old simplistic formula used for shows
prior to the groundbreaking show Hill Street Blues. Johnson's argument is that if our brains have become accustomed to following increasingly
complex plotlines as TV has matured, then television has actually had a positive impact on our brains. Walter Kirn writes in regards to Johnsons
persuasiveness " Johnson's argument isn't strictly scientific, relying on hypothesis and tests, but more observational and impressionistic. Its persuasive
anyhow. When he compares contemporary hit crime dramas like 'The Sopranos' and '24', ––with their elaborate, multilevel plotlines teeming casts of
characters and open–ended narrative structures – with popular numbskull clunkers of yore like 'Starsky and Hutch.'" The point is, this, Johnson's
approach to his argument may not be strictly scientific, however, it sure as hell is

Violence in the Media Essays
In 1884, a man by the name of Paul Nipkow invented a device called the scanning disk. Little did Nipkow know that years later his invention would be
transformed into one of the most popular pastimes in America today ("Inventors"). Philo T. Farnsworth was the true inventor of television in 1927. He
had no idea that thirty–five years later his inventions would not only be in ninety percent of Americans homes, but also strongly effect everyone that
watched it. "Following the introduction of television into the United States, the annual homicide rate increased by ninety–three percent"(Journal of the
American Medical Association). With the invention of television came the job of broadcasting shows on to the television. Broadcasters soon... Show
more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The main conflict with what's being broadcast is the amount of violence being projected to the kids of America. Some people say, "Its just TV and
its not real" others say " How does my elementary age kid know it is not reality?" This is where the controversy is drawn on whether or not television
violence affects the actions of kids who watch TV on a regular basis.
Ted Turner CEO of Turner Network Television and Cable News Network was quoted as saying that,"TV is the single most significant factor
contributing to violence in America.." The number of violent acts the average American child sees on TV by the age eighteen is two hundred
thousand ("Real"). Average time per week that the American child spends watching television: nineteen hours and forty minutes. Number of murders
witnessed by children on television by the age 18: 16,000, Percent of youth violence directly attributed to TV viewing is 10 percent ("Real"). These
are just a few of the numerous amounts of statistics of Television violence. Even though these statistics send chills to our spines while reading them.
Americas still seems to turn their eyes away from the problem. While America in denial of the effects of this violence projected on TV, the television
industry feed children with more and more violence. 80 percent of Hollywood executives believe that there is a link between TV

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