Reading Reflection No. 2

Reflection on Cognitive Surplus, by Clay Shirky

1.     This book is centered around the impacts on society by the widespread use of the internet. The beginning of the book follows the history of the internet, and how the usage of it has proliferated and permeated society globally. The primary argument throughout the book is that the internet has allowed people to spend their free time unbounded because of the internet. This free time is considered the “cognitive surplus” in which the book is named after. Ultimately, the internet has allowed nearly all recorded information to become accessible to much of the world, and this can be used to promote culture, community, and problem-solving.

2.     One point that the author made which particularly resonated with me was that the internet creates a platform that connects experts with ordinary people. This connection has resounding effects because ordinary opinions are sometimes just as important as expert opinions. The presence of both allows for the expert knowledge to satisfy the ordinary needs. This directly connects to the concept of need fulfillment, an integral part of entrepreneurship, and actually expanded my perception of this concept.

3.     A big part of this class has involved interviews, so I would create an assignment utilizing interviews to delve into the topic this book brings up – internet usage. The requirements would be to interview 3 people of different age ranges and ask them what their perspective on internet use is.

How often do you use the internet?

What do you use the internet for?

Can it be beneficial?

Can it be wasteful?

Can it be harmful?

4.     I think that my biggest surprise while reading this book was the overall tone and opinion on the internet. My generation has been the first generation to grow up with the internet as a part of their day-to-day lives since they were born. The result of this has primarily been criticism, as older generations have scoffed at the use we derive from the internet. Thus, it is refreshing to see a piece of educational literature that puts internet usage in a good light and explains all of the different benefits that humanity as a whole gets from it.