Brainy Gaming

From cards to video games, to TV dramas, Stephen Johnson’s unconventional book “Everything Bad Is Good For You” strays from common attitude of modern pop culture. Being a kid born in the 90s and engulfed in the age of rapid technological development, I could not agree more with Johnson’s concept of the sleeper curve.

Yu Gi Oh Cards

Like Johnson’s obsession with baseball card games when he was a child, the dominating game that existed during my childhood was Yu Gi Oh cards. Filled with dragons, wizards, and knights, Yu Gi Oh may have seemed like a mindless game of luck and some simple addition and subtraction to those unfamiliar with the game. However, with over 5000 unique cards that can be employed in key moments of the game, children barely able to sit and write a paragraph in a school setting will gather for hours to compete in this mentally tasking game. Without even realizing it, these kids were gaining an edge over their peers in strategizing, recognizing potential in cards they have, working in a constantly changing playing field, and even bluffing.

yugioh_cards_in_my_deck_16_by_inuyasha666hiei Figure 1

Sleeper Curve

Like how cards have evolved from the traditional playing deck to the number of complex games present today, the video game industry has and is still evolving from what is was when Johnson wrote “Everything Bad Is Good For You.” Since that the video games present today, with their massive 3D worlds, challenge gamers to make logical and situational decisions, Johnson’s sleeper curve still holds true. On a personal note, it seems like every day I see kids younger and younger playing games and memorizing aspects of that game that I would have thought too difficult for children of that age.  Although there are still yet to be an acceptance of the benefits of video games and TV series, the sleeper curve nevertheless holds true and hopefully will reveal the hidden greatness of modern pop culture.

Check out Discovery.com’s viewpoint on the effects of video games on people: http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/big-question-can-playing-games-make-us-smarter.htm

Here’s a cool video from ASAP science on how video games may make you smarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOsqkQytHOs

2 thoughts on “Brainy Gaming

  1. I have to admit I do agree with Johnson’s Sleeper Curve in that popular culture has become more complex. I also agree with your point that kids are starting to use this complicated technology at younger and younger ages–every time I attend a family function my elementary-school-aged cousins never fail to teach me something new about my phone or show me a new app. However, I have to side with Pierce when he says many of the beneficial connections of gaming aren’t realistic or common. I just don’t see any exceptional benefit of our current popular culture situation. If anything, Johnson’s argument could be “Everything Bad Isn’t As Bad For You As You Think,” but to go as far as to say it is “Good For You” is a little much in my opinion.

  2. I do believe that the rise of “brainy gaming” can benefit children in their development. As we see today, many companies are creating games built to revolve around math and comprehension skills in order to succeed. And these are games are thriving among developing youths, as parents see it as a great way to entertain their children while also educating them.

    However, I do not see the benefit of the average video game. In his novel, Johnson states that through video games, one learns about the interactions of humans and their social capabilities. He knit picks at certain situations and data in order to prove his point. But these are fantasy relationships that often times have no real value in the real world. There are also games that hurt children and their thinking. Violent games have been proven to promote violence among youths, as we have seen with the many school shootings that have occurred recently. Children just get caught up in the stories of the game, and oftentimes can never find there way out. And that is a problem.

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