Games

Steven Johnson’s essay “Games” is an excerpt from his book “Everything Bad is Good for You: How Today’s Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter” (2005). He discusses the controversy of books versus video games and examines arguments for both sides. Dr. Spock mentions one argument for video games (p.196): “The best that can be said of them is that they may help promote eye-hand coordination in children.” It is also said, that video games can also make the player aggressive and rowdy. According to Dr. Spock, those games are always very time-consuming in the end (p.196-197). A study in 2004 showed, that reading for fun declined recently among Americans (p.197). Additionally, the writer Andrew Solomon found out, that people who read are most likely the ones who go to museum exhibits and concerts, and attend voluntary work. The reason for that is the more energetic and active drive that readers have (p.197). Johnson admits, that Solomon’s arguments about reading are very strong, but he still says that the comparison of books to video games makes the videogames seem really flawed. Johnson experiments with the following thought: What would people think about books if video games were invented before them? After he thinks his through, he goes back and mentions the pros of reading (p.198): “the complexity of argument and storytelling offered by the book form; the stretching of the imagination triggered by reading (…); the shared experience you get when everyone is reading the same story.” Johnson also wants parents to encourage their children to read, without necessarily keeping them away from other media (p.199). Then he goes on with the rewards of reading. It is basically the mental work that characterizes reading. Furthermore readers have to use their imagination in order to put to make content vivid. According to Johnson (p.199), skills like input, concentration, mindfulness and understanding sense and structure of a book will always be required in an educational system or a job. Finally the author expresses his concern about video games: Underestimating the sharpness of video games could be dangerous (p.201).

I think that video games are the most time consuming medium besides watching TV. This especially concerns young people. Kids get entirely consumed by the games, so they don’t realize how much time goes by. Some people argue that the social aspect of video games is still there, but as much as kids play with other kids, they don´t learn how to be social in real situations.

Johnson, S. (2011). Games. S. Cohen (Ed) 50 Essays. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins