Everything Bad Is Good for You

We've been hearing for quite a while now that video games, TV, and pop culture in general offer no educational value. Steve Johnson, however, would argue that TV and video games are actually making us smarter. Johnson thinks it's not the content but the format that asks users to think. He says that video games stimulate the reward center of the brain. Players are not necessarily interested in the story of the video game but succeeding at a completing the challenge.

I tend to agree that video games can make us smarter. Video games ask players to use skills that aren't required from other, more passive activities. For instance you can improve hand eye coordination, develop problem solving skills, and learning to think outside the box. Also, several educational and interactive video games have been developed. Although, I think there are a number of games that don't provide players with any education, such as Grand Theft Auto.

Because video games are so popular today and reach a huge audience, they have the ability to really impact how the players think and learn. As long as form and content continue to provide players with some education, I think video games have the ability to make us smarter.