Bad is Good

Johnson argues that everything bad for us, especially TV, video games and pop culture, is actually good for us and essentially making us smarter. Johnson believes that the video game form, rather than content actually stimulates the brain, and in the end will make the player smarter. Further, Johnson believes that today's television shows and movies have gotten so complex that viewer stimulation and involvement has drastically increased in the past 20 years. TV shows and movies are asking our emotional intelligence to work harder and process the information we see on screen. So what does this mean for today's libraries?

I agree with Johnson somewhat. I believe that TV, movies, video games and pop culture can make us think more as a society. Further, these formats connect users to each other in a way that books can't. I think libraries have had to adapt to include these formats in their collections. DVD, VHS, Cd's and now video game systems are all a part of most library's collections. I see no problem with libraries changing to better meet user needs by accepting that some "bad" things may indeed be good. Libraries are there to provide information, without choosing or providing any bias to the information. However, libraries can always connect users back to books. For instance, you can create a display that says "You like this TV show, then you should try these books". I think adapting rather than completely ruling out anything "bad" will help libraries survive in this ever-changing climate.