#5 Response to Brain Candy and peer edit

Gladwell's "Brain Candy" was well written and effectively talks about Steven Johnson's proposal.  It shocked me that the average IQ is increasing 3 points per decade.  I appreciated the in depth exploration of why this could be.  I agree for the most part with all of Gladwell's points.  I agree that video games are innovative and exercise the brain in ways that reading a book cannot.  Many of the computer games I played as a younger teenager involved strict problem solving and as the mystery game progresses, the greater of the story being told and worked through is revealed.  I agree with Gladwell's opinion that video games cannot replace the importance of actually reading a book.  Part of the language downfall with younger people now is the lack of reading.  Constant online chatting, or "web talk," texting, and ways of talking faster and using as few words as possible has evolved the language of the 90's generation and up.

However, I disagree with the idea that reading books teach children to be passive and feel trapped in a world that they have no control over.  That is like stopping story telling, which is one of the most beautiful things passed down to us from even before humans developed language.  Everything in life is a story.  History is a story.  Video games can not override books and language.  Especially because the video games being marketed to preteens and teens contain explicit and mature material.  I disagree with Johnson's statement claiming that reading encourages children to be isolated.  Yes, video games are interactive ways for multiple people to play and socialize together, but every time I played my games, because I am an only child, I played them alone.  

The peer edit was not useful to me.  I got no real negative feedback, nor positive feedback.  I found that Gladwell's setup of "Brain Candy" was effective.  It was impressive to see how he showed both counteracting sides equally, however he still made his point and made it with persuasion.  

Other sources I may want to look into is actually interview Women's Studies majors myself, or watch documentaries of the psychology behind the topics I'm discussing.