Cognitive Surplus

Cognitive Surplus, Clay Shirky dealt with the issue of free time and what the world is doing with their recently found time.

The book dealt with several different issues surrounding this surplus and how social media has filled this void. There were a large amount of examples in the book and it appeared that people connected with different sections of the book. People connecting with different sections mirrored how people respond to social media. People find their little section of social media that works and impacts them, some are extremely devoted like the Grobaniteswhile others just want a laugh like the readers of LOLcats.

People used to just be able to consume things, like TV (or gin) but now technology allows people to produce and create. While some produce information that impacts a large amount of people or someone produces a LOLcat makes no difference, people have the opportunity to decide how they want to contribute. Creativity is allowed to grow and spread due to social media and cognitive surplus.

Of course, with things being able to be produced and spread easily, comes conflict and solutions have to be made to correct them. This book discusses different advancements and also the issues that surround them. Privacy and security are of course a huge issue.

Additionally, the book discusses how what is occurring right now will impact future generations. Are our choices helping or hindering the future?

Many different issues and questions are brought up in the book and it really allows your eyes to be open to the world of social media and the impact that it is making.

thumb|left|300px|http://www.ted.com While news from Iran streams to the world, Clay Shirky shows how Facebook, Twitter and TXTs help citizens in repressive regimes to report on real news, bypassing censors (however briefly). The end of top-down control of news is changing the nature of politics.

Our Thoughts
In a modernized society we have technology that has given us a surplus of free time compared to previous generations. We are able to communicate with people and be open on a variety of topics we would have otherwise never have communicated with because of technology. One such site that encourages openness mentioned in Shirky’s book was PatientsLikeMe.com. This site “allows patients with similar chronic health conditions to share information and offer support” (Shirky, 155). But, as the old saying says, “with freedom comes responsibility.”

Being able to share on the internet, especially social media networks is very important in our fast growing world. However, freedom can be abused. It is important for websites and groups to have some sort of regulation because people can abuse the freedom given to them by the groups’ creators. For example, people using e-bayto sell themselves instead of inanimate objects.

Although the sites are controlled, openness is encouraged on social sites, so that we are able to use the surplus that we have gained to the fullest. The restrictions and rules are simply there for damage control.

Giving Someone a Voice
Sometimes social media can be used to help people explain what they need and what their opinion is on certain matters. The example Shirky explained in the book was an occurance that happened back in 2003. South Korea had banned American beef imports because many sources of beef in the U.S. had been found to be contaminated. Consequently, South Korea wanted nothing to do with U.S. beef products. The ban lasted for 5 years and became complicated for the U.S. and Korean governmant. In 2008, President Lee Myung-bak and President George W. Bush came to an agreement that would end the issue but there were still some problems going unseen. Korean citizens were not happy and started protesting against the news. An unknown and surprising protesting group was found and they were not members of any previous protest groups, they were teenage girls. They were protesting and saying they were there because of Korean boy band but they weren't technically there because of them. The girls had been following a fan website for the boy band and had heard of the ban being lifted on the website. All of a sudden, the website became a forum for them to discuss politics or anything they wanted.

Therefore, the girls had gotten upset and gave their opinion online with one another which provoked them to take a stance on what they strongly believed in. In the end, a simple idea such as a fan website gave an unknown culture their voice to be able to speak up. Social media has given people a chance to interact and get more involved. Sometimes getting involved is taken to negative extremes in the social media world but Shirky seems to believe that many positive things can happen as well and can give people something they never had before; courage.