Watching Tv Makes You Smarter Steven Johnson Analysis

The debate on whether television programs are making society more educated has gone on for years. Author Steven Johnson goes into extensive and specific research about this topic in his article, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter”. Throughout the writing piece, Johnson discusses the differences in television from two decades ago, a decade ago, fives years ago versus television now. His argument is strongly saying that TV series’ and programs have advanced conspicuously by introducing more complexity within its plots and characters, and making watchers think more deeply. While some of Johnson’s points may be valid, not all television shows are increasing the intelligence of its viewers. For instance, the reality show, ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’, has been an ongoing for a little over a decade. The entirety of the show is to follow the family and “keep up” with what is going on in their personal lives. The series includes many intimate moments that each family member goes through on a day to day bases. There is no intricate information or thought within the reality show, what you see is what you get. The controversy on Johnson believing that TV making society smarter by pushing viewers to question and think, having complex …show more content…
The whole purpose of reality series’ are to watch everyday or famous people live their day to day lives. These shows are not trying to inform viewers and do not have problems/mysteries that need to be solved. In the first ever episode of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, viewers were able to follow the Kardashian family on their beginning journey of being famous. The episode introduced each family member and from there went into what they were they were all doing everyday. By doing so, it goes against Johnson’s point of having a complex plot because it is just showing what they are doing on a day to day bases instead of having a deeper meaning and