There couldn't be a better time to test Steven Johnson's theory than National TV Turnoff Week—just turn the set off till Sunday and see if you get any dumber
While I agree that not watching TV for a period of time won't make anyone dumber, I personally wouldn't be able to live without TV
But shouldn't grown men and women be trusted to judge their own dosages, just as they would decide on the number of drinks they can handle at the bar?
we definitely should be trusted to judge how much TV we watch, but some people might not be able to control themselves when binge watching, just like with alcohol.
Johnson's claims for television as a tool for brain enhancement seem deeply, hilariously bogus—not unlike the graphically mesmerizing plot diagram he provides of "any episode" of Starsky and Hutch as a foil for the far fancier grid representing The Sopranos
I think we can gain a few things from TV, but I don't believe a person can get smarter from watching any type of series. TV is more of a hobby, something to do.
Would it be monstrous to refer to the 40,000-plus domestic highway deaths we accept each year because the mobility and autonomy of the car are evidently worth that high price
I think it would be monstrous to just accept all these deaths, we should probably consider how to prevent these things.
Assume for a moment that some of these measures really have helped make our persons and property safer—are they worth it? Where and when was the public debate on whether they’re worth it?
The author makes a good point, What is our safety worth? Makes you think.
In other words, what if we decided that a certain baseline vulnerability to terrorism is part of the price of the American idea?
That would be horrible if that were true. Terrorism shouldn't be the price of anything.