Everything Bad Is Good For You Analysis

The immense advancement in technology is often criticized by older generations who usually cannot easily adapt to the technological changes in society. They often claim that technology such as cell phones, tablets, television, and video games are unnecessary advancements that waste one’s time and vegetate the brain. Younger generations are constantly connected to the virtual world and appreciate all new technologies. Many would not be able to last a day without their precious smart devices. These stances on modern technology constitute controversies of its effect on human intellect. In Everything Bad is Good for You, Steven Johnson discusses how popular culture has a positive effect on society by making people smarter. Johnson theorizes that, along with former pastimes such as reading, modern technology and popular media, specifically games, television, the internet and film, can increase cognitive activity and overall intelligence due to what he calls the “Sleeper Curve.” Throughout the book he validates his thesis with personal experiences, statistics, analyzations, and other various examples.

Since our technology has evolved so greatly, it became intertwined in our culture in the form of entertainment. …show more content…
Johnson’s examples of video games, tv shows, and films are not up to date with current popular culture. Technology has evolved even more since the book was published causing it to be slightly inaccurate. During Johnson’s time the book was entirely relevant and deserves a fair argument, however his theory of the Sleeper Curve can still be applied to present day popular culture. “Technology amplifies the Sleeper Curve in one final respect: it introduces new platforms and genres at an accelerating rate,”