In Cognitive Surplus, Shirky writes, “When someone buys a TV, the number of consumers goes up by one, but the number of producers stays the same. On the other hand, when someone buys a computer or a mobile phone, the number of consumers and producers both increase by one.” (Shirky, 55)
When I was a child, I used to watch hours upon hours of TV. I grew up with TV all my life. I learned the English language watching the Hercules TV show (See! It’s not all bad for you). I watched TV while doing everything; homework, chores, getting ready for school, etc. Even though it’s a bad habit, it taught me how to multitask. I learned how to give the TV my divided attention. Whether that meant I half-assed everything is something I’ll leave for another debate. When me and my friends weren’t outside playing manhunt or sports, we were home either watching TV or playing video games.
I watched so much TV because it was all I knew. After we got our healthy dose of exercise, me and my friends would go to one of our houses and either watch TV or play video games. I remember one of my birthdays when me and all of my friends took turns and beat Super Mario Bros. Even though we just consumed, we consumed as a collective effort. We would give each other tips and help one another out. It was an offline forum so to speak.
I had some knowledge of the Internet, but I didn’t know how powerful it was – or would become at least. One important thing the the World Wide Web has done is that it made helping a lot easier. Whether it’s helping someone by posting tips in a forum, or creating a DIY video. It gave you the ability to help someone, and actually enjoy the whole process. It’s made these things so easy that you can’t help but do them. When your work helps or entertains someone, it makes it that much more valuable. That value can translate into a sense of belonging. The best part about it is that with almost 2 billion people online, someone will find some sort of value or entertainment in you work; whether it be a how-to video, or a Baruch meme you shared on Facebook.