Preview

Sleeper Curve Steven Johnson Analysis

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
160 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sleeper Curve Steven Johnson Analysis
Steven Johnson presented the argument that watching certain TV shows can make a person more intelligent. According to the author, shows have only become more complex with different story arcs, threading, and social interactions amongst characters. He argues that certain types of narrative weaving cause a person to actually focus on what is happening and notice the details within the show. To support his argument, Johnson discusses the Sleeper Curve, which is found in certain television shows that cause a person to have to pay attention to things below the surface, such as tracking character relations and making inferences. The article presented comparisons between old and modern television shows, as well as clarifying that “bad” shows can also
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Raymond's Run Bamueaky Analysis
    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Raymond's Run Bamueaky Analysis

    What people experience in their childhood reflects on their personality and how they behave. In this short story called Raymond’s Run by Tony Cade Bambara, the protagonist Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, known as Squeaky minds her older brother who has mental retardation. Looking after her brother and keep herself up as a fabulous runner really make her strong physically and mentally; she is a girl who strongly believes in practice to get anything better, and she respects anyone who works hard as well.…

    • 803 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Jimmy Cross Analysis
    • 980 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Jimmy Cross Analysis

    The short story "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien takes place in Vietnam during the Vietnam War. In this story we are introduced to First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his platoon. They all differ in age and ethnicity, and have different views on the Vietnam War. One thing that they all have in common is that they bear the weight of their country on their back, but they also have different emotions weighing on their hearts at the same time. We see three different sides to Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, the soldier, the love stricken man and the leader that has learned a valuable lesson. Each of his characters carries something different.…

    • 980 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    "Thinking Outside the Idiot Box" by Dana Stevens vs. “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” by Steven Johnson
    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages

    "Thinking Outside the Idiot Box" by Dana Stevens vs. “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” by Steven Johnson

    There is no doubt that television holds a purpose in our society today, but is that purpose brain-numbing or actually beneficial to our brain development? The television, also known as: TV, the boob tube, the idiot box, as well as many other nicknames, has been around for almost a hundred years. Ever since cable TV became popular in the 1950’s, there has always been a worry that people watch too much TV. Most people believe that with exorbitant exposure to the popular media both dumbs us down as well as makes us more likely to tolerate acts of violence. Dana Stevens’ “Thinking Outside the Idiot Box” argues that television does not make you smarter, directly contrasting Steven Johnsons article, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter.” Television has definitely made a mark on our hearts and has most certainly made an impact on society, but too much of a good thing is never a good thing. The propaganda photo about television that was found on Facebook is a good lens that helps me understand Stevens’ argument better. The photo assisted the understanding of Stevens’ depiction and contradiction of Johnsons writing, her discussion about what these “more complex shows” are actually like, as well as her discussion about the national event TV Turn Off Week. This photo clearly depicts that TV does not enhance or benefit in brain production in any way, however it “destroys” the imagination, or what’s left of it, and in return, it fills the mind with complete nonsense, and therefore numbing the brain. The photo, which is a picture of a television, states, “My job is to help destroy what’s left of your imagination by feeding you endless doses of sugar-coated mindless garbage.” As humans, we are very complex intellectual beings, however television has been captivating our minds and bringing our intelligence down.…

    • 1114 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Synthesis Using 2 Sources Johnson vs Carr
    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Synthesis Using 2 Sources Johnson vs Carr

    Johnson, Steven. “Watching TV Makes you Smarter.” They Say / I Say with Readings. First Edition. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst, New York: Norton, 2009. 213-230. Print.…

    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gerald Graff's Essay 'Hidden Intellectualism'
    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gerald Graff's Essay 'Hidden Intellectualism'

    When watching a program, people are focused on the plot, make inferences, and create relationships with characters. Therefore, develops a cognitive exercise for the audience. Johnson informs his readers that there is an interaction between people and a television screen. Some examples he describes are when TV shows allow the viewer to develop a mental outline of a show, when a characters encounter social issues, and giving someone a cultural experience through a TV screen. He includes visuals that show different threads of TV programs, displaying the complexity of their scenes overtime, and how much it challenges the brain. Those graphs associate with Johnson’s term the “Sleeper Curve” (279), which according to him is the most debased form of mass diversion. He says that even if it is just reality television, violent content on TV or video games, and children shows, it still helps people become perceptive. Johnson concludes that instead of people having a negative attitude or having fears of their children being influenced by content of TV or video games, he insists that they both should share the experience. Parents and children will continue to interact with the TV screen mentally and therefore develop skills no matter what they watch. This essay presents in argument that television is good for…

    • 1170 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Katy No-Pocket Analysis
    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Katy No-Pocket Analysis

    I chose to create a story box of one of my childhood favorites, Katy No-Pocket by Emmy Payne. I can use this story box in the reading center in my classroom. The students in the center can retell the story with the props. Before this story box becomes a part of my reading center, I would do a close reading of Katy No-Pocket. I would focus on the story elements to make sure the children had an understanding of the story itself. I would talk about the characters, the settings, the challenges that Katy faced and how she felt through out the story. I would also use this lesson to practice sequencing of events.…

    • 371 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Amusing Ourselves to Death
    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Amusing Ourselves to Death

    The "peek-a-boo" world of television is one in which the medium assembles disconnected facts in a "pseudo-context" (76) structure designed to make them more coherent and relevant. This structure is false creating a world that is "endlessly entertaining" (77) but does not allow for critical thinking. Information is shown to the audience so quickly that it does not allow them to think critically about it.…

    • 435 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Sleeper Curve and Multithreading
    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Sleeper Curve and Multithreading

    Johnson’s idea of multiple threads in watching television fundamentally lies in his overarching theory called The Sleeper Curve. A thread is a strand of information in one scene; a scene can have up to ten threads increasing the complexity of the show. Multithreading is “keeping [these] densely interwoven plotlines distinct” (Johnson 63). In comparison to earlier television shows that only followed one or two stories, today’s features present a greater deal of complexity. The plot lines in shows like Starsky and Hutch and Dragnet are easy to follow. The story begins and ends in each episode, requiring no follow up in later episodes. Modern television shows that develop complex plots require a certain degree of engagement from its audience. The challenging simultaneous plot lines require viewers to “intuitively track narrative-threads-per-episode” in order to truly comprehend what is going on (Johnson 72). With multithreading, the audience is required to “integrate far more information that [they] would have a few decades ago” (Johnson 72).…

    • 491 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Everything Bad Is Good for You
    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Everything Bad Is Good for You

    Multiple threading is very common in modern television shows but not in past shows. Johnson uses four graphs which clearly show the amount of plot content in relation to the running time of four episodes from different shows, to depict changes of complexity in TV dramas. In one drama, Dragnet, the narrative only focuses on one plotline; a few years later, the numbers of plotline have been increased in another drama called The Sopranos. The evidence strongly supports Johnson’s statement: Multiple threading becomes more complex and abundant in modern television dramas. However, it is not the only reason that makes TV shows more complicated.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Newton's Sleep Analysis
    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Newton's Sleep Analysis

    In Newton's Sleep by Ursula K. Le Guin, a group of people flee earth in a space ship , leaving behind a majority of the people on earth to die. Once in space, the people start to see things that they had left behind and ultimately go mad. We as humans have an obligation to each other to help those who are struggling along in life. When a society leaves its own behind, they will feel a large amount of guilt, which they will not be able to handle.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    'Are 24, Family Guy And Grand Theft Auto Actually Good For You?'
    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages

    'Are 24, Family Guy And Grand Theft Auto Actually Good For You?'

    Some of the authors argue for intellectual value in the various media, depending on the consumer’s use or approach, while others see harm to both intellectual and social development. You should read the introduction from pages 211-12 and review the questions at the end of each reading, as well as review the notes from class discussions, to understand the issue. I have divided possible topics into the social and intellectual arenas, though you may prefer to overlap, and suggested several potential argumentative topics based on the readings:…

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Binge-Viewing
    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Pros And Cons Of Binge-Viewing

    As one dedicates all of their efforts to watching a nine season series, one often experiences an emotional attachment to characters and their lives. Many binge-watchers will begin to imagine the characters as someone in their own personal life, allowing the emotions to mentally and physically affect them. Many will feel that if a character passes away on the show, a family member of their own had also deceased. Many will cry tears of joy at the highest points of a fictional character’s life, and many will openly question the decisions that a specific character chooses to make outloud. In addition to attachment, one will begin to feel the urges of withdrawal. Being away from the search bar for an extended period of time will leave one constantly anticipating the safe arrival back to their dark room with a computer screen waiting to be used. Withdrawal will cause one to constantly think of nothing but what they are going to watch next and impatiently waiting to return to their “veg session.” Many Netflix users will also begin to plan their entire day around their binge-watch session to ensure they are getting the most out of the their monthly subscription. Lastly, a binger will often feel a roller coaster of emotions at least once during a period of binge-watching. While watching a series, one will feel pleasure mentally, but when the series ends, one will feel sad or sometimes even depressed. The highs and lows of each emotions relies directly on the amount of time spent watching the series and the level of attachment one felt towards the…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Watching Tv Makes You Smart
    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Watching Tv Makes You Smart

    In the article Watching TV Makes You Smarter by Steven Johnson, the author argues that by watching television shows various television shows, people actually become smarter and how it has a big impact in our lives. He feels that watching TV makes us smarter because why we view things we might have never heard of before. He also uses dialogs to explain for example he used dialogs from the show ER to break down what’s happening between the characters, what words and sentences there using.…

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    comic book
    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages

    comic book

    Johnson argues that by watching TV shows you can become smarter. “to keep up…you have to pay attention make inferences, track shifting relationships” (pg279) Johnson calls this the” sleeper curve.” Just by us watching an episode of 24 our cognitive skills are growing because were learning about world culture. The show 24 is based on Muslim terrorist and extremely violent scenes, but Johnson believes by exposing us to information such as this were learning as we go. Decades ago we had very simple plots and scenarios in our television shows such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, didn’t make us think too much. Johnson explains ...”there’s no intellectual labor involved in enjoying the show as a viewer” (p280). Shows that we watch today keep us guessing as to what will happen next, we sometimes don’t even realize that our brains are working thinking about more complex details that could happen. The show ER is a good example of even if we don’t understand the entire dialog between the doctors and characters it keeps us intrigued and we follow along best we can with the medical terms we already know. Following along to such dialog we can learn a thing or two and start to understand what we’re…

    • 453 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    An Assesment of Indomie Noodles Tv Commercials on School Children
    • 5622 Words
    • 23 Pages

    An Assesment of Indomie Noodles Tv Commercials on School Children

    For some years now, research has focused on the question of whether or not watching a certain type of television programme produces certain effect. Experiments, have concentrated on observing and measuring behaviour in viewers after they have seen a single…

    • 5622 Words
    • 23 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics