Reading Reflection 2
Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky
1) What was the general
theme or argument of the book?
·
The main argument
of Cognitive Surplus is that the
internet has created vast opportunities for people to become connected, and it
is this social engagement that has been lacking in years past. For example, thirty
years ago, people would spend their free time watching television as opposed to
young people today who are using the internet during their free time. Here,
Shirky argues that this surplus in free time is a wonderful opportunity – a
chance to get back some of the productive social interactions that were lost
when we all decided to watch TV alone. A key quote in the book explains this
reasoning by sharing: “the wiring of humanity lets us treat free time as a
shared global resource.” Overall, Shirky observes that the internet is an
opportunity and resource that people (and businesses) use to “design new kinds
of participation and sharing that take advantage of that resource.”
2) How did the book, in
your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
·
This book directly
connected with the material taught in lecture because it is trying to showcase
the vast potential the internet contains to connect both people and ideas. Today,
we live in a world overwhelmed with technology and capability that we, as a
species, have never experienced. In addition, I’d say at least 99% of start-ups
today utilize the internet in some capacity to reach their customers, build
their brand, their culture, and so forth. Furthermore, the internet has granted
entrepreneurs the ability to develop original ideas into concreate business
plans, and thus enables the creative process to endure for future generations.
3) If you had to design
an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that
exercise involve?
·
Based on the argument
presented in the book, I would create an assignment where students would create
two simple business plans – one where
they are allowed internet resources and one where they are not. The one major
rule of this assignment is to complete the business plan without internet
capability before the business plan where you are allowed the use of the
internet. If done properly, with zero internet and only your mind to assist
you, it is expected for students to be confused and stuck about how to progress
with the plan – of which is encouraged. Afterwards, students will be asked to
reflect on their experience and will probably appreciate how dependent we, as society,
are dependent on this invaluable resource.
4) What was your biggest
surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you
learn that differed most from your expectations?
·
Overall, I honestly
did not learn much, as I already understood how dependent humans are with the
internet and how it is practically the only thing connecting us to other
cultures and opportunities (cognitive surplus). Therefore, nothing I read
differed from my expectations because I have lived through the birth of the internet
and experienced firsthand the massive innovations in this technology throughout
the years.
Evan,
ReplyDeleteI think it is crazy and amazing how dependent our generation is over the internet. We use our free time to not only check social media and stay connected but also to read and learn things that we didn’t know already through our electronics. We are always dependent of the internet that we have been gifted with. I think your exercise to not allow people to use internet capability would be hard to do by yourself. I think this because the internet is as if you are talking to another person, so you are receiving ideas from a technological robot on particular topics.
Hi Evan,
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds really interesting! I think the author's core thesis, that the interconnected nature of our society today is a resource to be harnessed is interesting, but I do find myself doubting the extent to which it could be harnessed. My main problem I'm running into is that I just don't think things are that different. Shirky uses the example of people who used to watch TV alone but are now connected through the internet, but I think this ignores the fact that just because the platform changed doesn't mean their habits will. The people who watched a lot of TV aren't going to suddenly engage with this new resource in a different manner than they engaged with the TV, they're just gonna move their vegging to their phones and computers, watching TV there, surfing social media, and playing inane games on Facebook. The people out there using the internet to connect and do things were doing the same things before the advent of the internet, without it. The same people who today organize for causes they care about through Facebook and Twitter organized for causes they cared about then too, but in person. I like the author's idea that the connections we have forged through the internet can be harnessed, but I think the idea that the people utilizing those connections were drawn away from lives of vegging to do so is naive.