Everything Bad Is Good For You

Author: Steven Johnson

Welcome to 2007! Have you made your new years' resolutions yet? Do they include watching more TV, playing more video games or spending more time surfing the web? If not, then you should read "Everything Bad Is Good For You" before you make any hasty decisions about quitting smoking or losing weight. As it turns out, these activities actually give you a good mental workout. They will not, however, do anything for your inability to walk up three stairs without getting winded. For that you're going to have to stop shoving cake in your pie-hole, fatty.

I couldn't help but feeling just a little vindicated after reading Steven Johnson's well-researched and intelligent argument. I've been spouting off for years to anyone who will listen about the sophistication of shows like The Simpsons and South Park and video games like Grand Theft Auto. Contrary to what the "old guard" has been preaching about the "dumbing down" of society, popular media is actually making us measureably SMARTER; a happy little phenomenon that Johnson calls "the sleeper curve".

Simply put, this sleeper curve reminds us that we humans are a problem solving species that isn't really satisfied unless we can sink our mental teeth into a good challenge now and then. Therefore, in order for modern media to become and stay popular, it has to be sophisticated enough to give our highly-evolved intelligence a good workout.

So the next time somebody accuses you of wasting your life playing video games, just tell their dumb-ass that you're studying to become the next president of the Universe or whatever. Then throw something at them, preferably this book. They'll understand. Even if they don't, who needs them anyway!

Score: 10/12 monkeys