Video games are good for you

Is pop culture just stupidity in a brightly colored package?

I admit I don't watch a lot of TV or play a lot of video games. Mainly because I don't have the time too. I do play table top D&D and have since I was 12 so I'm fairly aware of the gaming community, even if I'm not 'up' on the video game end of things. I'm used to defending the benefits of RPG games, but I've never really put to much though into the benefits of video/computer games before.

I have to say, Johnson makes a pretty convincing argument. The fact that his argument is used along with several other very good sources to make a convincing argument for games in the library reinforces this argument in my mind.

So no, I do not think that popular culture is simply delivering stupidity. I admit, I'm not particularly trilled with the content of some TV shows or video games (particularly compared to some of the really excellent shows that have been cancelled *coughfireflycough*), but I agree that the plot of the show or game is not all there is to it.

Johnson articulates this very well. A lot of the benefits that I would list off to defend my playing "that evil D&D game" also apply to video games and TV/movies. There is a large social factor. Many of the games can be played together, and even the single player games become social when your friends also play. The same goes for movies and TV shows. People like to talk about what they are watching and playing. There are countless online communities dedicated to fans of TV shows, movies, games and books. There are even communities dedicated to certain romantic pairings within a TV show. And through these communities, people can meet others who share their tastes and speculate what will happen next or who will end up with who.

For me playing D&D made me use math skills and gave me an understanding of probability. Decision making and problem solving are a large part of the game, and this transfers to video games as well.

I would also say that a certain amount of escapism is good. There are times when I've had a bad day, or I'm tired or I have something on my mind and I need to lay all that down and focus on someone completely unrelated for a while. Watch TV or playing games as a way to give us a break can be a very good thing.