Everything Bad Is Good For You Analysis

Everything Bad Is Good For You by Steven Johnson explains why the things people usually look down upon can actually be good for you. Johnson explains how video games, television, film, and even the internet can be helpful and to our present society. Johnson’s view of society is defined by the sleeper curve. The sleeper curve concept shows that even the things that are proposed bad can have significant benefits and can actually make us smarter. Steven Johnson proves his point by discussing how complex video games, television, and film have developed over time to provide cognitive benefits within our society. Many parents think that video games are bad for kids and that they should get outside more. While this may be true at certain times, Steven Johnson proves technological advances in media make us more intelligent. Johnson talks about how much gaming has progressed with programming and graphics. In most games you have to figure out what to do in order to get to the next level or stage. It makes our minds work in order to figure out the plot of the game. The author Steven Johnson states “ Now, I have no doubt that playing today’s games does in fact improve
People now need to think and reason to keep up with the plot of the show. Instead of just sitting there watching a television show people actually need to think about the show in order to follow along. Steven Johnson says “Television may be more passive than video game, but there are degrees of passivity. Some narratives force you to do work to make sense of them, while others just let you settle into the couch and zone out,” (63). This quote from Steven Johnson is explaining how some television shows make you work to understand the outcome, while others allow the viewer to be more passive and just enjoy. Television differs from video games in that it does not always require a viewers full attention to be