Steven Johnson, Everything Bad is Good for You: Games

Katherine Sarnie
March 30th 2014

Blog: Steven Johnson, Everything Bad is Good for You: Games

While reading the article Everything Bad is Good for You: Games by Steven Johnson, I began to agree with the assumptions he was making about video games and pop culture being just as good for you as reading books. Steven Johnson talks about the "Sleeper Curve" which I found very interesting. He says that our generation's television shows and use of entertainment have deeper meanings in them, allowing these television shows to be just as healthy as reading a book. He states that it allows your mind to think about these deeper meanings, similar to reading a book. The "sleeper curve" is the "most debased forms of mass diversion-video games and violent television dramas and juvenile sitcoms-turn out to be nutritional after all" (Johnson 459). I agree with what Johnson in saying because I know for me, watching today's television shows makes me think about the meanings behind the plot and what the writers are actually trying to portray. 

I also found it interesting when Johnson says that reading books is not as good for you as one may think. Johnson talks about how children read books quietly in corners are separated from their peers, being isolated because of the book. He then goes further and says how playing video games create a common culture for children and connects them through common interests. "The book readers of the younger generation are learning to "follow the plot" instead of learning to lead", I agree with this statement because while reading books you are only allowed to stay within the boundaries of the books plot, while playing video games gives the player imagination and adventure (Johnson 461). 

Finally, Johnson talks about how playing video games helps hand eye coordination and uses the muscles in ones fingers. Reading books only exercises the mind, while playing video games exercises both the mind and hands. I do not think our generation is in trouble because of the use of technology because reading will always remain something of our culture. Reading is not going anywhere, therefore our generations use of technology and entertainment should not be something that is frowned upon.