Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky
1. The general theme of this book is that humans learning to use our free time (cognitive surplus in a way) to embrace and utilize the internet has contributed many aspects to furthering society. Shirky argues that the internet, specifically social media, has created a medium of collaboration that is not matched anywhere else, and this medium has the complete power to change society for the better. This book drove home the message that we should always remember to appreciate these aspects of social media rather than only focus on the negative parts.
2. I think this book and entrepreneurship in today's society can definitely go hand and hand. The internet, specifically social media, is so prevalent in the world that it is almost necessary for a business to utilize this platform. For instance, social media provides businesses with great ways to be discovered by the masses and easily connect with customers in a matter of seconds. I think this is something that I would need to utilize if I were to ever start my own entrepreneurial journey.
3. If I had to design an exercise for this class based on this book, I think I would give students a made-up start up company with some basic background information. After letting them review this information, they would have to create a plan in how they would utilize social media to best help this fake business grow.
4. I think the most surprising thing I learned was the history of humans constructively using free time. Shirky says that he believes people did not start using their cognitive surplus constructively (in creative ways) until around the 1940s. This not only surprised me, but also made me realize the amazing potential we have with the ever-growing technology present in our society.
Hey Brandon!
ReplyDeleteI think your assignment would be a great way to get a class involved in the book they are reading. I think social media is a great tool that can be of use for businesses to flourish. It can be used for so many other things than to just connect people to their friends. Social media, while used for SOCIAL purposes has helped many businesses reach their clients directly and in a timely manner. This book sounds very interesting. I might have to pick it up myself. Great job!
Hey Brandon, I agree that humans not using their free time constructively until the 1940s is pretty shocking! I would never have imagined that. Social media is definitely a force to be reckoned with, it's got a ton of potential which is being actualized each and every day. Your exercise would be a great way to learn the ins and outs of social media's applications to business, which is pretty important nowadays.
ReplyDeleteHi Brandon,
ReplyDeleteBased on your reflection of this book, it seems like I'd really enjoy reading it at some point. I'm very intrigued by your idea for a class exercise with students running a pretend start-up. It seems like this would provide students with a bit of mock real world experience on what being an entrepreneur is like. Great job!