The New York Times Magazine: Watching TV Makes You Smarter, a fun article adapted from Steven Johnson's new book, Everything Bad Is Good For You. It's a compelling premise, though partly so because it's precisely what someone like me wants to hear. When asked (usually by my wife) why I watch some of the TV that I watch, I usually say what I'm watching is "crap," but is titilating in a particular way that I like and I otherwise wouldn't recommend it. I get defensive because it seems I can't justify it over "better" uses of my time (reading great literature, learning a new skill, excelling at my job), yet I have a pretty good idea why I prefer it to, say, most everything else on television.
April 28, 2005
