Dana Stevens summarizes Johnson’s essay by stating his claim that shows are becoming more complex and more complicated over the last two decades and watching it makes you smarter. Stevens disagrees with Johnson and believes that most shows assist in rotting the brain and also claims that not watching TV will not make you dumber. Stevens then criticizes Johnson for not mentioning the recent controversies and terrorism in 24, and that he fails to account the commercials that interrupt the show. Common sense seems to dictate that watching too much TV is bad for you and that it doesn’t make you smarter. In my own view, I agree with Stevens that watching TV does not make you any smarter.
Television makes people look deep inside and think about the notions of good and evil. Not every person that watches television is affected by and shares emotions. In the television series The Sopranos, Tony Soprano kills, threatens and projects anger to other people. Harold says, “We do not just take on one character or one point of view, and we do not respond emotionally in only one way” (248). Harold also says that it’s okay to like Tony because he is a fictional character (241).
Johnson makes many good points in his essay “Watching TV Makes You Smarter”, but more than that he visually lays his ideas out for you in graphs and concrete examples. Johnson suggests that people ought to view TV’s form instead of content for instance when he says “There may be more (quote) negative messages (unquote) in the
Watching TV Makes You Smarter: Critical Analysis A lazy man’s fantasy is to do nothing and get something out of it. This is precisely what Steven Johnson preaches in his article “Watching TV Makes You Smarter”. And no, he is not talking about the knowledge gained from educational TV. He is saying that after watching The Sopranos, you will have gained intelligence from following a complicated plotline. Although Johnson and fellow couch potatoes would truly love to believe that watching TV works wonders on your brain, it is surely a fantasy with no relation to real life Johnsons’ main argument is that TV has gotten more complicated over the years and our brains have to compensate for that.
I think that this is the pivot where family problems can persist. Posted by: Ahmed Mohamed | January 21, 2009 9:38 PM My first thought when reading David Sedaris's essay was that it was not about television at all, but about people's perceptions of mass media. I found it interesting that Sedaris used the phrase, "it was unfair to inflict his beliefs upon others", as if prohibiting TV was somewhat inhumane and different than prohibiting any other type of media, which is and has been prevalent throughout history. In the same sentence, he describes Mr. Tomkey's wife and child as somehow "innocent" in their inherent right to watch television, which made me laugh (I am not surprised, as I am a big fan of his wife, Amy Sedaris). Upon further reading, I noticed an emphasis on the curious nature of people to investigate experience beyond their own and how they define normality according to that experience.
Pros and Cons on Carnage as Entertainment There's been talk of the benefits and dangers of children watching television virtually since the medium's beginnings in the late 1940s. Parents wishing to allow their children to enjoy television's virtually limitless power to educate and entertain just as often find themselves taken aback by mature themes and subject matter. For decades, public television and certain child-friendly cable networks offered safe harbor from conventional television programming, though in recent years the educational value of some of its programming has fallen under criticism, too. The accusations stem from a belief that so-called educational programming has compromised its standards for the sake of competing with mainstream television entertainment. If these programs become more commercial, the argument states, where can parents find trustworthy program for their children?
Katie Reitsma Fundamentals of Writing November 4, 2014 Old Spice When we are watching TV, a lot of us don't pay attention to the commercials playing. People's mind just zones out when there shows go to commercials unless it is a commercial like the Old Spice commercial. They start out really bold and are doing anything they can to grab your attencion. The Old Spice commercial is an example of the advertisers using a model to sell their product. Since Old Spice is a male product line, most people would think this sales pitch is for the male audience only.
In reality people don’t drink as much, like on TV. I think this will soon change. When you see somebody live a lifestyle like that on TV people will easily mimic it. A lot of times that is why there is a, “Do not try this at home” warning on TV shows like “Mythbusters” and “Jackass.” They know that people can and will most likely do it so they try to make people aware of the dangers. I wonder why this warning is not on TV shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Skins.” Obviously people think it is now acceptable to go out underage, hang out with friends, and drink until they pass out.
Some people in today’s society think TV is not good for you, but in Steven Johnson’s Watching TV Makes You Smarter, hemakes the argument that TV is very complex. He talks about how multiple threading in TV shows have many cognitive benefits. He also says thattelevision today makes you think more than it did previously. Overall TV affects people in more positive ways than they realize. Steven Johnson makes the argument that multiple threading has a positive impact on television today.Johnson believes that the show Hill Street Blues successfully had a combination of a complex narrative structure and complex subject matter.
Most people don’t understand how negative excessively watching TV can be. The public should know the consequences of allowing themselves and their children of watching too much television. The first reason why people shouldn’t watch too much television is because the content of many TV programs are not educational. Nowadays we can see movies, series, shows, and even cartoons that present scenes of violence, sex, and drugs. These things can badly disturb the process of mental development, making children less sensitive and more aggressive.