Media change brings cultural change
April 27, 2009
Clay Shirky speaking at NTC 09. Here his words – rough style:
- Group action got easier. Organized activity is not a privilege of organizations anymore. Media are not a source of information only, but have become means for the coordination of real-life action and large scale collaborative efforts. E.g. flash mobs (spontaneous pillow fights in Toronto, ice cream on Belarus’ October Square).
- The internet is global and cheap. There have been media revolutions before: Printing press, telegraph and telephone, recording of images, radio, but the internet for the first time allows for a “many to many” collaboration pattern.
- Change in media leads to a change in the way that institutions work. Even banal self-amusement tools can become a political tool in the right hands (Yes we can – Barack Obama music videos – a not so happy example: “Sing for Change” shot ).
- The “engine of progress” does not just force one big idea; it spreads a few smaller ideas into galaxy, lets people participate, iterate, make the best survive, and succeed: Indeed, here comes everybody!
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