I really enjoyed watching Clay Shirky's talk on Cognitive Surplus at the Web 2.0 Expo last week. He does such a good job at explaining how and why watching TV is no longer the de-facto spare time activity that I'm going to simple force people to watch it when they claim not to understand how I have no time to watch television.
See for yourself...
It occurs to me that people like me, meaning generation X (as we're called), are part of possible the last generation where hours of TV watching every evening was a truly universal activity.
Even if I had a Tivo, I probably wouldn't find the time to really use it.
I've always enjoyed Clay's presentations and this one is no exception. Carve yourself out 15 minutes of whatever it is you'd normally be doing and give it a listen.
Posted by jzawodn at April 30, 2008 07:31 AM
Brilliant framing. I find myself watching less and less, even though I have Tivo and only watch what I really, really, want to.
But my kids spend waaaaaay too much time with it. I'm failing as a parent.
I too stopped watching tv actively about 18 months back. The only programs I watch are some UTV world movies, Deutsche Welle(German, the documentary programs are really good.) and some odd Discovery, TV5 movies(french channel)
There is no Tivo or PVR and TV Guide/EPG in India which means I can't save programs I like even if I would like to watch them someday.
I would encourage anybody to watch dw-tv. Available streaming online too, probably the best way to spend your time. You will be entertained and learn in that time..
speaking for generation Y, TV type activities will always be important. But the idea of "nothing is on tv" is disappearing because if America's Next Top Model or Gossip Girl isn't on then you have better things to do then watch TV.
Thanks for the link. I was at Web 2.0 last week and saw Clay's talk "live" and thought his presentation was the best that day (I only went Wednesday).
Wow.
I believe he is correct. I grew up in a very small town in Minnesota and as such when I was in grade school I watched TV 4-6 hours per weekday.
This changed the day we obtained a used computer. I still owned a TV and watched it some, but never to the same degree. Three years ago I gave my TV away and have no intention of buying another.
When I do need an `escape', I watch TV on my computer while doing something else.
Thanks for sharing this video clip. Using a Wikipedia as a unit of measure of cognitive effort is brilliant. The fact that 1 Wikipedia represents a small fraction of the cognitive potential out there is stupefying. I'll never look at the web the same way again.
This occurs to me as smug.
You want to watch a baseball game with your Dad in HD, and discuss it with your friends at work the next day... or, you want to stay on top of Lost, you watch it with your wife because it's really great... this is an ignorant waste of time, dodging reality, compared with people who instead choose to invest a ton of their time writing up long missives on the (non..) planetary status of Pluto?
I don't begrudge those people spending their time how they want to. Good for them. I resent being told my watching a great documentary or The News Hour is my being ignorant, analogous to all of society being drop down drunk for a generation, that seems pretty asinine. absurd even.
That said there are for sure millions of people who sit through terrible nonsense tv every night, but to say all TV is pointless like your average sitcoms.. go hit the Random Page on Wikipedia and you'll see an infinite number of pointless discussions.
ones that don't interest me, might be better said.
i wouldn't stand up and give a speech on how those people are idiots though, i'd instead say, they like things that are different from the things I like.. isn't that ok? i don't like jazz music but it's ok with me that a lot of people do. no one would pay me to say that though and i likely wouldn't sell any books.
yeah i don't watch much Boob Tube anymore*
However bOObies on the Internet! thass a whole nother Story!!
;PPP
I'm struck by his notion that as a youth he was 'forced' into watching TV because the Internet didn't exist. Couldn't he read a book?
I think it's just different strokes for different folks. There are some who would ask *why* you spent so much of your energy editing a page about Pluto on Wikipedia. Sure, if that's your thing, knock yourself out. Just remember that it's not everyone's thing.
I wouldn't question someone for editing a Wikipedia page anymore than I would knock them for being entertained by this week's episode of Lost. Want to read a book, take some photos, hang out with friends down the pub? Have at it. To take his "tone" and look down on those who just happen to like watching TV instead of playing Grand Theft Auto IV was a bit of a turn off for me.
To those that are feeling offended about their watching of television, you needn't be. He mainly only talked about sitcoms, which I would hardly think would extend to a show such as LOST and definitely not a baseball game- but rather the family sitcom which while enjoyable is hardly anything beneficial in any other way- and not particularly well made.
In fact he colored it as a necessary societal coping mechanism. It's not necessarily bad- it just isn't as necessary anymore. Which I agree.
