Bad things become good - mass culture makes us smarter: mass culture makes us smarter

Author: Johnson
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: This book is also quite cliché, basically trying to convince readers to finally believe one thing: the overall trend of mass culture in the past 30 years has become more complex and intellectually stimulating. Although many critics believe that modern mass culture has entered the "low-end," becoming increasingly "dull" (as George Will puts it, "this increasingly childish society"), I see a picture of progress: mass culture is becoming more mature and increasingly demanding stronger cognitive engagement each year. Let's view this phenomenon as a positive "brainwashing": although the mass entertainment that captivates us is often despised as useless junk, it is steadily and almost imperceptibly sharpening the minds of its fans. I call this upward trend the "Sleepers Curve," named after a classic scene from the science fiction film Sleepers directed by Woody Allen: a group of scientists from the year 2173 are surprised to discover that people in the 20th century were completely unaware of the nutritional value of cream puffs and cream candies. The author of this book, Johnson, draws on theories from economics, neuroscience, and media studies, pointing out that the "junk" culture people dread is actually making humans smarter. He argues that an electronic game or a film and television drama cannot be like a book and has no reason to "crave" to be one. It has been proven that from the game Tetris to the television drama 24 and the reality show The Apprentice, they have all improved people's IQ and cognitive abilities, which may not be learned from books. Johnson uses examples to prove that today's mass culture is not declining but changing—in an exciting and stimulating way that can be easily understood from our daily lives. Is mass culture, such as games, movies, television, and the internet, as vulgar and superficial as traditional views suggest? In Bad Things Happen to Good People, the renowned best-selling author and cultural scholar Steven Johnson presents a different perspective. He argues that the mass culture we immerse ourselves in every day is becoming more mature, and the cognitive challenges it brings are making our brains smarter. Johnson draws on theories from economics, neuroscience, and media studies, pointing out that the "junk" culture people dread is actually making humans smarter. He argues that an electronic game or a film and television drama cannot be like a book and has no reason to "crave" to be one. It has been proven that from the game Tetris to the television drama 24 and the reality show The Apprentice, they have all improved people's IQ and cognitive abilities, which may not be learned from books. Johnson uses examples to prove that today's mass culture is not declining but changing—in an exciting and stimulating way that can be easily understood from our daily lives. After reading this book, when you face an electronic game or a television screen again, your feelings will undoubtedly be completely new.