Let’s Look at Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky
Clay Shirky really has something here. Because I have to say, I just plain love this book. I am a fan! In addition, this book ended up tying with Groundswell for being my favorite of the six books that we were assigned to read in my first Quinnipiac University social media class, Social Media Platforms (ICM 522).
At the time, I started classes thinking I would only get a certification and nothing more. However, I ended up staying long enough to get my Master’s of Science in Communications in Interactive Media (social media). And a part of that decision can be traced directly back to reading this particular work.
Philosophy To Go
Furthermore, I really liked the philosophical and sociological aspects of his work. Essentially, what he ended up saying was – society is changing. It’s not just the Internet; it is happening to humans ourselves. We are in the process of becoming new, and different. Hence there is a seismic shift going on, in our society.
Of course, that is likely to just be the wealthiest slice of society. Because heartbreakingly poor people in Third World countries simply aren’t going to be adding to online or offline content any time soon. Or, if they are, it is far more likely to consist of content that is survival-based.
Hence this would be items for sale, rather than the products of truly creative pursuits. But the internet is also one, big, giant marketplace. And those contributions are just as valuable.
Clay Shirky on Amateurs vs. Professionals
In addition, I really love what he had to say about amateur participation. Because in Chapter 5, on page 154, Shirky persuasively writes:
“As more people come to expect that amateur participation is always an option, those expectations can change the culture.”
So, here’s to amateur participation. Because it is here to stay and I suspect it will never, truly go away.
Ten Years Later, What Do I Think?
I think what Shirky has to say is still useful. However, one piece of social media has a use case which he did not think of when he wrote the book. I am talking about people who do not own a tablet or a personal computer or a laptop. They don’t even own an e-reader. But they do own a smartphone.
There are great swathes of people, particularly in Asia and Africa, who consume social media only one way—via mobile.
Amateur participation is happening on ever smaller screens. And mobile users move quickly! If you don’t grab them in the first few seconds, guess what? They’ll swipe left.
I think my rating right now would be 4 1/2 stars. But that’s not really the fault of Clay Shirky. And, if he updates this seminal work to include more mobile-only users, then my rating would go right back up to 5 stars.
Rating
Review: 5/5 stars.