Does Television Make Use Dumber Essay - 535 Words

Television is a big part of society today. The shows on television entertain most of America, along with conveying information to viewers. Many people today look down on television and blame it for problems we have in society along with making viewers dumber. Johnson’s Watching TV Makes You Smarter and Stevens’s Thinking Outside The Idiot Box have near opposite positions on the issue of television, both describing what they feel is the right answer when it comes to television and society. Throughout Steven Johnson’s Watching TV Makes You Smarter, he compares hit TV shows like Dragnet and Starsky and Hutch to that of more recent shows like The Sopranos. He explains how early television follow a strict linear narrative with little†¦show more content†¦Johnson’s article tries to persuade viewers into believing television shows with complicated story lines can be beneficial to the human brain. Stevens, unlike Johnson, isn’t trying to say telev ision is bad for people, but rather â€Å"bashing† Johnson’s article for being outlandish and misleading. Although agreeing with some cases, she feels his article lacks explanation of aspects such as commercials and controversies. She is quoted as saying â€Å" he breezily dismisses recent controversies about the programs representation of Muslim terrorists† (296). I feel that there is a line within here that they are both correct in one aspect or another. There is smart TV and there is dumb TV. While Johnson’s points are correct not every series is made to make people smarter. Many are made for entertainment and people like them like that. The show does not challenge the brain and are meant to help people relax or just have fun. Stevens points out that television is a business and nothing else. Most of the shows that are popular right now have very complex plots and people prefer to watch them for that. There are different kinds of shows, some that infor m, and others entertain. Shows like the news are meant to both entertain the watcher, but also to inform them about what is going on in society. Generally we become smarter through the information we are given, but we will watch it again because we areShow MoreRelatedEssay on the Internet1407 Words   |  6 PagesDuncan 1 Dimaikys D. Duncan Paolo Javier English 101 May 30, 2013 Does the Internet make us smarter or dumber? There is a complex debate over the Internet and whether it is making society smarter or dumber. For that matter the debate focuses on the Internet and the intellectuality of individuals, and if the Internet hinders or it progresses society as a whole. 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