Via the O’Reilly Radar, this article from The Boston Globe is well worth a read:
Depression 2009: What would it look like?
“Instead of dusty farm families, the icon of a modern-day depression might be something as subtle as the flickering glow of millions of televisions glimpsed through living room windows, as the nation’s unemployed sit at home filling their days with the cheapest form of distraction available.”
Now, that really is depressing!
Surely there is a lean-forward alternative to that bleak scenario?
We might be drowning in financial deficits, but there is still a cognitive surplus, isn’t there?
Sure there is a cognitive surplus, however the lean-forward alternative is proving to be FaceBook. Which is not much better.
However I do believe that that surplus is looking for more than just FaceBook. They are also looking for an income and they know that the internet provides such opportunities.
So I expect to see a rise in affiliate programs, elance services providers, etc. And the preferred lean-forward alternatives will be those that combine a social element with income opportunities. Hmm…sounds like TradeMe.
I’d like to think it’ll be people sitting at the beach drinking water they brought from home flavoured by lemons from their trees, eating rice in bulk and veges from the markets - reading blogs like ‘howtolivecheaper.com’ and studying free online courses that could be offered by provincial polytechnics, reading books from the library etc etc.
I feel a bit sorry for the kids who live in the suburbs and won’t be able to get around - but maybe if the media goes easy on suburban moms and dads - they won’t be so worried about pedophile murderers and will let their kids bicycle around to a friends house.
It might be a great opportunity for everyone to slow down and feel the air in their lungs.
No way is the tv going to profit from the depression - it’s all about the internets.