previous | 23 June 2005 | next
I'm getting close to finishing Everything Bad... and feeling unsatistfied. A friend commented that much of the discussion is a popularization of cultural studies research that is 30+ years old, that doesn't particulary add to what is known. Johnson's assertions appear plausable, but even if they are correct, are they meaningful or significant? From the start, Johnson clearly distinguishes between complexity and taste, arguing that much of the criticism of new media is based on taste/morality. While much of what's out there is 'offensive' [to somebody], it is measurably more complex and can be correlated with a documented increase in some cognitive skills. But how significant is that if we're not necessarily a more responsible, mature culture? |