Are you an economics student having trouble understanding some of the concepts? Or perhaps you’re a teacher searching for a new way to engage your students? Prepare by watching Seinfeld. The aptly named online archive project Yadayadayada Econ has found wisdom in the “show about nothing,” extracting clips from the show that illustrate economic concepts like barriers to entry, zero-sum game, and collusion:
It is the simplicity of Seinfeld that makes it so appropriate for use in economics courses. Using these clips (as well as clips from other television shows or movies) makes economic concepts come alive, making them more real for students. Ultimately, students will start seeing economics everywhere – in other TV shows, in popular music, and most importantly, in their own lives.
For example, say you wanted to brush up on imperfect information and moral hazard. You could watch this clip from Season 3 episode “The Alternate Side,” where Jerry rants about reservations:
The site features a robust index of economics concepts and a catalog of the clips that illustrate them, along with descriptions. According to the site, the archive was created in 2010 by Chair in the Department of Economics at Eastern Illinois University Linda Ghent, Associate Professor of Economics at Baker University Alan Baker, and graduate student in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Montana Greg Lesica. But anyway — don’t let us keep you from binge-watching you favorite ’90s sitcom. After all, you’ve got some learnin’ to do.
