Thinking Outside the Idiot Box

Dana Stevens essay, Thinking step upside the Idiot Box, was first marque in Slate on March 25, 2005, is a counter argument to Watching TV Makes You Smarter an article written my Steven Johnson that says observation complicated TV shows make you smarter when in reality youre just watching complicated TV shows. She mainly disagrees with Johnsons opinion that figuring out the complicated plots of the TV shows sharpens angiotensin converting enzymes cognitive skills. In her view, those entangled plots not only compel one to watch even more TV, they also weaken ones skills to depend because many shows overload ones mind with quick-paced facts. Stevens 295-6) She also states that Johnson overlooks the Muslim terrorist and tortures in the show 24. She points out that many mess think watching TV is ok especially if its a nature show. Stevens also discusses a trip to the airport where she saw quite a hardly a(prenominal) people surrounding a nature showing. The author contemplated whet her or not the nature show was acceptable because travelers were still spacing out while watching it, so what is the difference between violent shows like Animal Face Off which contains bloods guts and gore and a regular nature show is sedate and entertaining. Stevens 297) She is wondering why spacing out is ever positive A football game in a bar is zapworthy, but spacing out to leopards in the Qantas terminal is A-OK? (Stevens 297). Next she says that children are fresh meat for the marketing industries by making shows that catch their eye. She is basically claiming that there are many people who are offended by many things, and each person needs to be sensitive to what they play on their TVs. In conclusion, Stevens believes that TV is neither good nor it is harmful for our minds it is only there to entertain us. (298)