Hw 14- Second Text

Thinking about watching TV today is viewed in bad ways because of the fact that is a passive activity especially when compared to doing things outside like sports. Although it can be said that the things we do that we think are bad for us are actually good for us. TV can be viewed in both the good and bad light. There are smart shows and then there are shows that make you think. (sorry cant remember the exact quote and cant find it). Shows today are often about the same old stuff and often depict our lives and everyone watches them so that they can get away from their own boring lives. Though there are shows out there with complex plots that keep the viewer thinking and not just having an outer body experience with the TV. These kind of shows keep the viewer smart by having them in way interact with the TV to first of all keep up with complex plots and various threads but further more to evaluate problems going on in that set TV program.

"This is progress: more sophisticated delivery of stupidity". Today computer games, video games and hand-held games are more commonly seen with young people. These devices can be seen as making the generations more stupid because they are wasting all their time on those games. We see them as promoting violence and aggression in children because the games they play deal with guns and killing people. Its been said that readers are more active and non-readers are more passive and lately there are more and more kids who stop reading. The text also states this view point is all based on history. If it so happened that video games had arrived before books, reading would be the undermined activity. But reading all together is important and is viewed that way in society. Reading helps kids learn fundamental skills that will help in life. It can also be said that non-literary culture is helping kids develop different mental skills that are just as important as the ones being learned from reading books. Video games and other gaming devices have just been "misrepresented" and not seen through the players eyes on how it feels like to be in another world. Most of the population plays games whether it be on line or on a hand held device. Many wonder what's the point if all you do is more work and can get easily frustrated but people do it because its fun and in my opinion to get away from reality.

It was said that books already have a set plan in motion and why would anyone want to be bound by it, having to follow the path someone else has laid for you. I do agree that books are like this but it can also be said about any other thing we do like watching TV and playing video games. In video games there is only a set level of levels to win and only a set road to get to the designated goal. Same with TV, the plot is already written and with it the carefully drawn ending but the viewer has to watch every step every character has to make before coming to that pre-assigned ending. Most of our life in my opinion things are already laid out for us and it is our choice to decide what path we will take. And this decision also shows us who we are, gives us more insight into who we really are rather then that of what we show to others.

I felt like in Feed the author had a very negative view on digitization. That is was "destroying" us and was bring the end to our downfall. It did not give very much light to how it was a good thing in peoples lives. Though the author of What's bad is good for you, had the same view that non-digital "media"/ culture was better although did talk about how digitalization was on par with non-digital culture. Both expressed negative view although the other did admit that some things digital are actually good for us. Although in our world today you can not really live with out digitalization and so those opinions of it are bound to surface with the extended use of it.