(Yet another gem I found when researching update materials for my blog network. Enjoy)
Synopsis: To explain the recent trend of rising IQ scores, some commentators turn to popular culture as a causative factor.
http://csmonitor.com/2005/0603/p12s01-bogn.htm
He makes the case that popular culture has become more intellectually challenging in the past 30 years, and is possibly increasing people's IQs.
To make his point, Johnson compares TV shows like "Starsky and Hutch" to "The Sopranos." The '70s cop show had one plot line throughout, whereas an episode of "The Sopranos" often has as many as 10 threads. A show like "24," he writes, "makes the viewer think in ways that earlier shows never dared; it makes them analyze complex situations, track social networks, fill in information withheld by the creators."
The same changes are true in video games, such as SimCity (a city simulation), which require more time and thought than using a joystick to help Mr. PacMan eat through a series of dots. The more complex technology gets, the more kids demand from their entertainment, he suggests, forcing all of pop culture to be more challenging to compete.