Comments on: Where do you find the time? Shirky’s Answer

By: Nerdiness, learning, and subconscious programming | c.stutz.learn

Nerdiness, learning, and subconscious programming | c.stutz.learn — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:36:38 +0000

[...] that today’s media is like a triathlon. It requires consuming, producing, and sharing. Fryer wrote that there is a discrepancy between today’s students, who Marc Prensky would call [...]

By: The Tech-Savvy Teacher » Sometimes you just need to turn off the ol’ noggin: a defense of mindless television…

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:31:40 +0000

[...] A-Lister Wesley Fryer borrows from Dean Shirky to say that part of the answer is not watching television and instead of consuming media, people are choosing to produce and share. [...]

By: Maria H. Andersen

Maria H. Andersen — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:25:18 +0000

I stopped watching television years ago and never looked back. Of course, it’s a bit easier when you don’t like to watch sports (which seem to require that you have a working television).

Television just seems like a colossal waste of good brainpower to me. The laugh tracks, the 30-second “news” stories – how does anyone stand it? Now when I’m forced to watch TV (at restaurants and airports) it really grates on my nerves and makes me feel like humans have become zombies with respect to the media they consume.

By: Wesley Fryer

Wesley Fryer — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:58:05 +0000

I agree, Sue. In my work with educators and students in oral history projects, I’ve found the interview process is MUCH more challenging for most people than the technical / point and click aspects. This gets to what you are saying, I think: We need to explicitly help others (and practice ourselves) the art of listening, thoughtfully processing, and reflecting. These acts don’t come naturally for many. We should not expect them to.

I think this metaphor of media as a “triathlon” is very helpful. I triathlete cannot merely run and bike. They also have to swim. Similarly, we can’t just produce and share if we want to be media literate. We have to consume as well. This new media landscape is not devoid of consumption, it is filled with it, but not to the extent it was in previous generations.

I think your point about the need to practice reflective and constructive consumption, and listen to other perspectives besides our own in our selected echo chamber(s) is well said.

By: Sue King

Sue King — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:08:37 +0000

I had many thoughts about this as I watched and digested Shirky’s presentation. In thinking about how we are educating our students and how I have seen various aspects of people’s ability to participate, share, and produce in so many different realms (political events, sporting events, etc) – I grow concerned that we lose sight of our need/obligation to TEACH students how to really listen, understand perspectives of different people, to analyze, to reflect, etc. I still want people to read an entire book or watch an entire movie and take in what the producer of that piece was trying to communicate – without interrupting the author with their own opinions and thoughts – they should have them (we try to teach students to “interact with text” by making notations in margins or on sticky notes as they read) – but they also need time to be reflective and to think before they speak and react.

Instead, I see the danger of further promoting what seems to be a growing narcissistic culture, judgmental culture, and a culture in which people cluster in silos with shared beliefs, opinions, or ideologies. Should we not also spend time “consuming” – if it is done thoughtfully? Although I am an ardent supporter of technology and its power to break down walls and allow communication across the world, I also see the risk in increasing the factions and the divisions – people ONLY interacting, sharing, and producing with others who hole the same beliefs or responding to others who have different beliefs in hostile and aggressive ways. I think it is critical that we explore ways to develop the skills and benefits of listening and being open to others’ perspectives; of being able to hold and understand more than one perspective. In our fervor to embrace the 21st century tools, we should put as much time and energy into empathy, tolerance, acceptance, and the benefits of diversity.

By: Damian

Damian — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:03:56 +0000

This is the /exact/ answer I give whenever I get that question (which is fairly frequently). My kids are still little, so they’re in bed by 7. My wife and I may watch one or two DVRed shows, and then she usually goes to bed between 8 and 8:30. I’m much more of a night owl, so figure I get minimum 2.5 hours a night to myself to consume, reflect, and produce. 2.5 time 7 days a week = a minimum of 17.5 hours per week.

I’m not saying it’s all spent 100% productively (we all need some time to zone out and recharge), but it’s still a significant chunk of time in which I continue to learn, grow, and contribute. I’ll take that over reruns any day.

By: Cheryl Oakes

Cheryl Oakes — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:37:37 +0000

Wes, thanks for continuing the answer! That was exactly my point when I asked Sarah a series of questions about how she prepares to write a story, vs. how she prepares for her Cooking Videos. I loved her answer, I practice in my brain. Our media rich environment and our media guzzling youth interact differently than we did and we do. We educators need to offer different ways and accept different ways for our youth to create. Thanks so much for Sarah’s explicit answers and for teaching us more.
Cheryl