Watching TV Makes You Smarter
If you were told that TV makes the human brain smarter, would you agree? The vast majority of society would probably argue that TV doesn’t provide any positive benefits for the brain. Recently, studies done by Steven Johnson, popular science author and media theorist, say that watching TV increases a person’s cognitive intellect. In 2005, The New York Times Magazine published Johnson’s article, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter”, and argues that TV is more of a brain workout, rather than entertainment. Johnson’s main argument in the article is the Sleeper Curve Theory: “the most debased forms of mass diversion – video games and violent television dramas and juvenile sitcoms – turn out to be nutritional after all” (Johnson 2). Our society is under the assumption that TV programming has no positive benefits, but what they don’t realize is the cognitive thinking that your mind goes through to keep up with a certain television show, video game, or movie. An audience is required to make inferences on what is happening in a show or game and go from scene to scene while remembering what had happened 30 minutes ago in the same show. This concept may seem easy, but an audience is naturally accustomed to processing information in this fashion. Johnson provides an easier way to grasp this concept by comparing the benefits gained through television to the benefits gained through reading: attention, patience, …show more content…
After pointing out different ways that our media has had a positive effect on the brain, Johnson is not arguing that we should have a care-free attitude when it comes to what type of entertainment we place in front of us, but arguing that our society needs to change its outlook on what type of entertainment is trivia for our well-being and what type of entertainment positively influences our cognitive
Rhetorical Analysis Of Just One More Game
690 Words | 3 PagesAnderson repetitively informs the audience about how accessible the “stupid games” have gotten. “Today it has been downloaded… equipment for kids,” (Anderson 107). It is clear that the journalist was prepared to disclose any facts that he had to help back up his claim on the effects that video games have on society, as well as how accessible the video games have gotten in the past few years. Although Chabon does the exact same thing for his audience, he provides more vivid details about the declining sales of comic books. “But the strange counter-phenomenon to this indisputable… neighborhood of 80 million today),” (Anderson 916).
Mind Over Mass Media Rhetorical Analysis
674 Words | 3 PagesIn conclusion, although many people believe new forms of electronic media are harmful to people’s intelligence, Steven Pinker thinks otherwise. He successfully proves this by bringing up many counterarguments and disproving them as well as having very trustworthy credentials. That being said, he also thinks it is important to practice self control to avoid becoming too distracted with these new forms of media and
A Rhetorical Analysis Of Neil Postman's A Brave New World
1429 Words | 6 PagesThe Overuse of Television Kameron G Loyd BYU-Idaho During an average week, how much television does the average child watch? Parents, educators, and concerned citizens alike would be appalled at the answer of 1,480 minutes (BLS American Time Use Survey, A.C. Nielsen Co.). They would also be revolted by the statistic that 54% of four to six year olds would rather spend time watching television instead of spending time with their fathers (BLS American Time Use Survey, A.C. Nielsen Co.). In 1984, Neil Postman saw how devastating television watching was becoming to the culture of America, and gave a speech to the literary community at the 1984 Frankfort Germany Book Fair entitled “Amusing Ourselves to Death” which deals directly with this monolithic issue. Although the speech and subsequent article, published in Et Cetra, were directed at the publishers, writers, illustrators, etc., all those who read this article can also benefit from Postman’s overarching desire to decrease the hours of mind-numbing television watching.
Mind Over Mass Media Summary
181 Words | 1 PagesThe article “Mind Over Mass Media”, written by Professor Steven Pinker, describes the impact of media on human lives and brains. Pinker illustrates the benefits people gain from using the worlds quickly increasing technology and media. Pinker suggests that today’s technology such as, PowerPoint, Google, and other forms of social media can actually enhance and bring more intelligence to the mind, instead of being detrimental. Critics believe that the many different forms of media can lower intelligence. However, Pinker declares that scientists are using all of this technology everyone else is using, and are still discovering new things.
How Entertainment Ruining Society Analysis
455 Words | 2 PagesEntertainment is seen everywhere whether it 's reading a book or seeing a movie with friends. Entertainment can shape a society and many individuals include time for entertainment on a daily basis. Many people love entertainment and find it as mode of relaxation. The truth is that entertainment has the capacity to “ruin” society. The concept of entertainment in society has been growing and has the capacity to ruin the state of society while negatively influencing individuals.
David Sedaris Us And Them Analysis
852 Words | 4 PagesPeter Weller once stated, “Television is an isolating experience, sadly enough. But as good as it ever gets, it’s still isolating. You sit in your home and visit with no one.” Staring into the television screen, zoned out and mesmerized, our minds are living the life of the characters in the movie or TV show. In today’s society, people obsess over there shows instead of there family, friends, and children.
Nicholas Carr's Essay 'Is Google Making USupid?'
492 Words | 2 PagesThe Influence of Technology In the essay, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Nicholas Carr argues that utilization of the internet has an adverse effect on our way of thinking and functioning in everyday life. Whether it be reading a newspaper, or scrolling through Facebook, internet media has forever stamped its name in our existence. Carr explains to us that the internet is a tool used every single day in today’s society, but also makes most of us complacent with the ease of having the world at our fingertips.
Nicholas Carr The Shallows Analysis
1621 Words | 7 PagesHe ultimately claims that although there are many benefits that can come from using the Internet, it is harming our brains and changing the way we process information, read, write, remember, and do everything. When it comes to reading, whether it be news, fiction, literature, science, history, articles, or the like, reading on the Web is inherently different from reading from a physical printed book, magazine, or newspaper. Both the Net and print have many advantages and disadvantages. For example, the Net provides a wider range of access to information than a book does, however, the book provides a linear way of thinking and reading, whereas the Net causes non-linear thinking (Carr 104). The primary disadvantage of reading on the Internet is distractions.
Amusing Ourselves To Death Chapter 1 Analysis
1309 Words | 6 PagesJerry Mander in his book ”Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television” shows how television is creating addiction, giving as exemples a 3-year $5 million study done by NIH, that showed that television can be ”addictive and hypnotic”, and how political figures tried to stop such researches(”The President suppressed the study and commissioned another group to re-do it”). Mander also mentions about Marine Winn’s work, that talks about the effect called ”The Plug-In Drug” created by television, wich is wielding an addictive influence on the very young and it is causing dependency simply by showing ”ever-changing array of sights and sounds coming out of the machine” and ”wild variety of images meeting the eye”. As a result, the media is not just showing addictive programs but it also selects for us what to watch, and by creating dozens of programs they gives people the imprestion that they choose what they are watching, when in fact, the information it is easilty
Essay On Binge Watching
1139 Words | 5 PagesThe American family once dropped everything that they were doing to attend the infamous baseball game. Baseball was the hub of culture, children traded cards with players on them, adults were constantly discussing the game, and the players were the Kardasians of their time. These days, a family splits into separate rooms and huddles in front of their respective televisions to watch their favorite show. The ability to stream virtually every show and movie with the click of a button has resulted in a new form of viewing referred to as “binge watching.” The effects of binge watching are obvious with every viewer suffering from the same problems after an indulgence.
Violent Video Games Essay
983 Words | 4 PagesWhat a great fun that I feel when I win a difficult video game, it is really exciting. It took me a very long period to forget the massage on the screen (GAME OVER ).But with the time I realized that Playing violent video games is no more likely to be damaging to young children’s behavior than those considered harmless, so that I choose some researches that can deal with case . More and more kids are playing video and computer games — especially ultra-violent ones that are top sellers. Research shows that children are also spending increasing amounts of time playing them: an average of 13 hours per week for boys and five hours for girls.
The Effects Of Movies And TV Shows On Teenagers
1087 Words | 5 PagesAbout an average of 32 hours and 47 minutes a week only Americans watch TV shows and 58 minutes a week watching things online (Schonfeld, 2012). Each day technology is developing and its becoming a big part of our society and our foreseeable future. A study shows that only 0.4% of the world population used internet in 1995, meanwhile 50.1% of world’s population used internet in 2016 (Internet Growth Statistics). People should be aware of the side effects of media, because teenagers get influenced by the things they watch and this could change the way they behave to certain things.
Knowledge Inside Squared Box
852 Words | 4 PagesThere are television shows that are beginning to offer more knowledge than entertainment. In Steven Johnson’s “Watching TV Makes Us Smarter”, Johnson sheds light on a fact that television increased knowledge for the viewers. Johnson states, “the intelligence arrives fully formed in the words and actions of the characters on - screen”, meaning that the witty thing’s characters say on television test the mind of the viewer, especially if the viewer does not know the meaning of some words. So this shows that television increased vocabulary for many viewers. For Example, shows like Frasier and Murphy Brown helped depict the wittiness in characters that used profound words which captivated viewer’s mind.
How Does Tv Violence Affect Children
1431 Words | 6 Pages1. Introduction Today television plays a big role in many people’s life, especially for children. It is hard to imagine a world without television. Thanks to the development of technology, television is invented, and considered as a great medium that provokes imagination, encourages education, and entertains the children around the world. Television can also be a beefy influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior (Bee, 1998).
Impact Of Television On Society
2990 Words | 12 PagesSandra Assouad Ahmed Sokkary Farida El Hagin Omar El Battat Television and how it affects our society Television is one of the most important miracles of science. It is a telecommunication medium that is used for transmitting and receiving moving images and sound. Televisions can transmit images that are monochrome, in color, or in three dimensions. Whether good or bad, television has found its way into the lives of people all over the world and it 's an important part of life for many.
More about Watching TV Makes You Smarter
Rhetorical Analysis Of Just One More Game
690 Words | 3 PagesMind Over Mass Media Rhetorical Analysis
674 Words | 3 PagesA Rhetorical Analysis Of Neil Postman's A Brave New World
1429 Words | 6 PagesMind Over Mass Media Summary
181 Words | 1 PagesHow Entertainment Ruining Society Analysis
455 Words | 2 PagesDavid Sedaris Us And Them Analysis
852 Words | 4 PagesNicholas Carr's Essay 'Is Google Making USupid?'
492 Words | 2 PagesNicholas Carr The Shallows Analysis
1621 Words | 7 PagesAmusing Ourselves To Death Chapter 1 Analysis
1309 Words | 6 PagesEssay On Binge Watching
1139 Words | 5 PagesViolent Video Games Essay
983 Words | 4 PagesThe Effects Of Movies And TV Shows On Teenagers
1087 Words | 5 PagesKnowledge Inside Squared Box
852 Words | 4 PagesHow Does Tv Violence Affect Children
1431 Words | 6 PagesImpact Of Television On Society
2990 Words | 12 Pages