Everything Bad Is Good For You

Steven Johnson, in this book, sets up a good argument for the idea that everything bad CAN BE good for you! In this argument he states that popular culture (games, TV, film) has become more challenging and more complex over the years "enhancing our cognitive faculties, not dumbing them down" (p. 12). He claims that "popular culture has been growing increasingly complex over the past few decades, exercising our minds in powerful new ways" (p. 13). He does not believe that it is just a method to "sophisticatedly deliver stupidity."

He speaks of non-literary pop culture and how it hones "different" mental skills which are just as important as the ones that you get reading from a book. He talks about how it increases manual dexterity and visual memory. Also, he discusses the difficulty of some of these games and just how hard they are. This I know is true because when I play some of these computer games, after I find the walk-throughs and the "cheats" I wonder why people think that these games can be fun. It amazes me how anyone could get through these games without help since most of them have to be completed in a specific order or you cannot advance. They are extremely analytical and very detail oriented.

Another point Johnson makes is regarding television. I found it interesting to hear his thoughts regarding today's "multi-threaded dramas" and how they relate to the television programs of the past. I had never compared the two, but once I did I was amazed to see just how intricate today's shows were. He discussed the multiple threads they contain, the flashing arrows and the social networks. Not only did he show how TV programming had changed, but he discussed how film had undergone an equivalent transformation with its visual and technological complexities.

After reading the first part of his book, Johnson made me realize that today's popular culture can really give us a rigorous mental workout!