For the last forty or fifty years, television has been a major topic of discussion. Specifically, many discuss the social benefits of watching television. A widely accepted opinion is that watching TV makes people stupider. People refer to it with terms like “idiot box” and do not believe that watching TV has any benefits. They believe it is a waste of time and that people should spend their hours more wisely. Others are of the opinion that television actually has benefits for society. From this point of view, they argue that the development of program structure now requires intellectual participation in television viewing. In essence, the question is whether TV is a beneficial social force or is simply a convenient, but harmful, outlet for entertainment. One of the leading proponents of the idea that watching television is beneficial is technology writer Steven Johnson. In a 2005 New York Times Magazine article, he praises the progress the television industry has made in recent decades. His basic argument is that, unlike programming about 20 years ago, you now have to be an active participant when watching TV programs. Referring to the show 24 as an example of such a phenomenon, Johnson states that "to keep up with shows like 24, you have to pay attention, make inferences, and keep track of changing social relations" (Johnson, 214-215). Johnson points out that to fully understand an episode of a modern television show like 24, you have to think. You have to be able to follow the different plots simultaneously, keeping track of the different characters and threads from previous episodes. He ultimately argues that it is these cognitive demands that mean that the clock… in the center of the card… cannot be ignored. Time that used to be spent reading, sleeping, studying, and exercising is now spent catching up on an episode of Lost or ER. Additionally, parents need to do a better job of supervising what their children watch. There is too much violence on TV for children to control on their own. TV itself might not make people dumber, but the things it turns people away from would make them smarter. This, combined with the disgusting lack of ethics in many programs, tips the balance towards television being an overall detriment to society. Works Cited Johnson, Steven. "Watching TV makes you smarter." New York Times Magazine. (2005): Print.Stevens, Dana. “Thinking outside the box.” Slate. (2005): Print.Gaddy, Gary D. “The Impact of Television on High School Achievement.” Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 5, no. 3 (Fall 1986), pp. 340-359.