Here Comes Some Good Ideas

Here is a talk by Clay Shirky, author of Here Comes Everybody. This is a very insightful talk that points out that at critical turning points society has a surplus it has to dissipate until it learns to harness and use. He argues that when the Industrial Revolution occurred there was a surplus population and drinking gin was the way to dissipate the surplus. He points out that in the 20th century with shorter work weeks there again was a surplus to dissipate and the sitcom on TV was the mechanism to dissipate the surplus. He argues that participative media is how that surplus will be usefully engaged. I find it to be a compelling story. And I love the little story he tells at the end of the little girl looking for the mouse. That is a great little vignette to make his point that media has to be more than something pushed at us. It has to be more than just consuming, it has to include producing and sharing which includes the wider society.