The Sleeper Curve

Do you accept Johnson's sleeper curve argument that certain TV progams-along with challenging interactive video and computer games- are intellectually demanding and are actually making us smarter? why or why not?
I do agree with Johnson's sleeper curve making us smarter because people really do get satisfaction out of figuring out the hidden plot of TV shows. This makes people think more in depth as to whats really going on and not only on the TV, but also whats going on around them in everyday life. Video and computer games are also becoming more challenging today because kids want more then just being able to fly through a game and beat it easily. They actaully take some skill and planning to beat nowadays.

Are you more persuaded by Postman's 1985 account- that the word has been displaced by an image centered culture and, consequently, that popular culture has been dumbed down by its oversimplified and visual triviality? As you consider Postman, think about the internet; is it word based or image based? What kinds of opportunities for learning does it offer?
I do believe that nowadays, words are becoming replaced by images more and more frequently. The nature of our culture is all about beauty these days. This means that more and more companies are making their ads shorter, but they have beautiful women on their ads in order to try and sell their product better. Beauty sells really good these days. I would have to say that the internet is still more word based today then image based because the internet is used largely as a means for gathering information and communicating with others.


In thinking about both the 1985 and 2005 arguments by Postman and Johnson, consider other generational differences. Do you enjoy TV shows and video games that your parents or grandparents don't understand? What types of stories and games do they enjoy? What did earlier generations value in story telling?
There are a lot of TV shows or video games that I enjoy that my parents don't enjoy. I enjoy shows like South Park, Family Guy and the Simpsons as to where my mom enjoys shows like Survivor, American Idol and the Bachelor. The only video games my mom enjoy are the ones on the Nintendo Wii which are included in the Wii sports package including bowling, baseball, golf and boxing. I enjoy more serious video games like 1st person shooting games like Call of Duty for xbox 360. The TV shows that my mom watch are more realistic and up to date of whats really happening as compared to the ones I like that are mostly animated, but extremely funny. My mom said that she valued the stories themseleves and the seriousness of them in her generation. In my generation, I feel like story telling is more valued for the laughter and if its funny or scary instead of so serious.