Firstly, Shirky needed to better articulate the differences between watching
television and watching YouTube? For many, either way, you're sitting on your butt. Perhaps there is a bit of subversiveness with watching YouTube in that you're not necessarily watching something corporate giants are trying to shove down your throat (...or are you?). Maybe you burn more calories clicking and moving a mouse than a remote. Still, many people go online to watch television programs, whether it's the episode of Pushing Daisies you missed last Wednesday, or an obscure episode of Japanese anime cartoon Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro. Maybe they won't have to watch a commercial for a Sham-WOW, but advertising on the internet is out there, especially those that are tied-in to television commercials.Second, I would like to point out Shirky's comparison of television-watching with Wikipedia contribution. I understand his point with regards to the TV producer's comment; however, his slant seems to suggest, "Oh, people watching television could be doing so much more with their free time, like contribute to Wikipedia!" Question: how many avid sitcom fans would actually contribute to Wikipedia if they weren't watching television?
So, I've contributed to Wikipedia. And I watch television. Not a lot, but I haven't really watched much in the past five years. Although it's easy to point at television to be this great and terrible SOMA, one can point to the internet as well. There have been many times I have gone online and felt like I wasted quite a bit of time on it. Even Wikipedia, that wonderful source of imperfect knowledge, can suck you in, as it did me when I followed link after link, reading various articles about numerous cheeses. Seriously, I think I spent at least half an hour, likely more, reading about different kinds of cheese. True, I learnt quite a bit about Emmenthaler cheese, but a television show on the Food Network could have informed me sufficiently (although I would have to wait for it to come on... unless I have a magic device called TiVo).
But what would have really informed me about cheese? Going to a cheese shop and asking someone working there about what they sell.
In 2007, I got my Bachelor's degree, and was done with school for the moment (I'm looking to go back next fall). Since then, I deleted my MySpace account, fell in and out of love with Last.fm, deepened my Etsy addiction and got cable television with my roommate. What do I love to do in my idle time? Sure, I go online on my breaks at work, but when at home, I play video games periodically, blog incredibly infrequently, read more often, and bake. For baking edification, I go online for recipes, but I also peruse my obscene collection of cookbooks.
I'm actually on the internet a lot less now that I'm out of school, which makes sense in one way, as I don't have as much research to do now, but I'm also spending less time on social networking websites. In fact, in the past year, I have actually watched more television, but that's because television is available. I watch television maybe an hour or two a day, and I'm picky with what I watch. If nothing appeals to me, I shut the TV off and read instead.
With regards to cognitive surplus and deciding what is worthwhile to spend one's time on, I belive it's entirely subjective. Working on Wikipedia articles can be seen as a contribution to society on one hand, but what if that person should really be working on, say, homework instead? Or, in my case, I'm reading a very interesting book about post-punk music and culture when I should be working on my admissions essay for the Master's program I want to get into. Granted, I'm learning something, but it's not the best use of my time at the moment.
So sure, one can take the stance that going online is better than watching television, but I disagree. Although I love the internet, I recognise it as having equal potential for education and for fettering your life away looking at LOLcats all day. It can be used for good or ill, like television, like gin, like fire, like anything, really. It isn't the medium, it is the operator/viewer/user who is responsible for the quality of time spent.
