--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Shirky pointed out that Americans watched…" description: "\"“Shirky pointed out that Americans watched a hundred million hours of television advertising every single weekend. In other words, we could have been c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/william-hertling-54886_end-time_shirky-pointed-out-that-americans-watche_475897.jpg" --- # Shirky pointed out that Americans watched a hundred… ![“Shirky pointed out that Americans watched a hundred million hours of television advertising every single weekend. In other words, we could have been creating another Wikipedia-sized project every week. But we didn’t, because most people don’t do that. They don’t spend time creating or learning…” quote by William Hertling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/william-hertling-54886_end-time_shirky-pointed-out-that-americans-watche_475897.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/william-hertling-54886_end-time_shirky-pointed-out-that-americans-watche_475897.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cff/william-hertling-54886_end-time_shirky-pointed-out-that-americans-watche_475897.jpg) > ““Shirky pointed out that Americans watched a hundred million hours of television advertising every single weekend. In other words, we could have been creating another Wikipedia-sized project every week. But we didn’t, because most people don’t do that. They don’t spend time creating or learning. They passively consume.”” [William Hertling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hertling/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People spend massive time consuming media instead of creating knowledge, missing opportunities for collective projects. **In simple terms:** People watch a lot of ads and don’t create. Key Takeaway Allocate time for creation, not just consumption. Themes media consumption creativity collective intelligence Mood reflective critical Type observational motivational When to use this quote - personal projects - community wikis - learning initiatives - content creation Key Concepts attention economy knowledge production Questions to Reflect On - What could you build with an hour a week? - How can you turn passive watching into active learning? A Different Perspective Even with time, motivation and skills may still be lacking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans Watched](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-watched-4102978/) [End time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-time/) [Million Hours](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million-hours-860467/) [Passively Consume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passively-consume-4102979/) [Spend time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spend-time/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Television Advertising](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television-advertising-2997317/) [Watched Million](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/watched-million-1805520/) ## Related quotes > [The movie I've watched a million times is 'A Face in the Crowd,' directed by Elia Kazan, starring Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/callie-khouri/the-movie-i-ve-watched-a-million-times-is-a-face-in-the-crowd/) [Callie Khouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/callie-khouri/) > [“That night's show was watched by ten million people, so I guess that director at The Second City who said the audience "didn't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/that-night-s-show-was-watched-by-ten-million-people-so-i-guess-that/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [I come out of TV. I come out of live television, BBC drama: that's where I started first as a designer, then a director.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ridley-scott/i-come-out-of-tv-i-come-out-of-live-television-bbc-drama-that-s-where/) [Ridley Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ridley-scott/) > [There is a pool of references in New York and Los Angeles that are almost exclusively drawn from the media, from the world of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-brickman/there-is-a-pool-of-references-in-new-york-and-los-angeles-that-are/) [Marshall Brickman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-brickman/) > [The network and local TV angle of broadcast television has received a black eye for not properly debating within the news issues that should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-e-hyman/the-network-and-local-tv-angle-of-broadcast-television-has-received-a/) [Mark E. Hyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-e-hyman/) > [Welcome to We Day! Since last year, WE have volunteered over 1.7 million hours of our time!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-kielburger/welcome-to-we-day-since-last-year-we-have-volunteered-over-1-7/) [Craig Kielburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-kielburger/) > [I won't lie,i've waited a million hours just to say that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/switchblade/i-won-t-lie-i-ve-waited-a-million-hours-just-to-say-that/) [Switchblade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/switchblade/) > [“The Big Truth is that principals work a million hours in the most primitive conditions and don't get paid a fraction of what they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-winerip/the-big-truth-is-that-principals-work-a-million-hours-in-the-most/) [Michael Winerip](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-winerip/) > [There should be a period of time during each practice session when you perform. Invite some friends in to your practice room and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-jacobs/there-should-be-a-period-of-time-during-each-practice-session-when/) [Arnold Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-jacobs/) > [“Spend time with people who enrich your mind, nourish your heart, and illuminate your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/spend-time-with-people-who-enrich-your-mind-nourish-your-heart-and/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [It's very important for me to spend time with my family and my friends and disconnect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/it-s-very-important-for-me-to-spend-time-with-my-family-and-my/) [Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/) > [When I am not playing or practising, I like to spend time with the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lewis/when-i-am-not-playing-or-practising-i-like-to-spend-time-with-the/) [Adrian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lewis/) > [I think that if I'm being brutally honest, I fill my cup up by isolating myself and having solitude. Time to just meditate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doechii/i-think-that-if-i-m-being-brutally-honest-i-fill-my-cup-up-by/) [Doechii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doechii/) > [When somebody comes across as authentic and genuine and sweet, people just want to spend time with that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-holmes/when-somebody-comes-across-as-authentic-and-genuine-and-sweet-people/) [Pete Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-holmes/) > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) ## More by William Hertling > [“Mike rejoined them, carrying coffees on a tray and the New York Times, interrupting David’s introspection. “Guys, you are never going to believe this!”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hertling/mike-rejoined-them-carrying-coffees-on-a-tray-and-the-new-york-times/) [William Hertling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hertling/) > [“There’s an old saying that locks don’t stop thieves, they just keep honest people honest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hertling/there-s-an-old-saying-that-locks-don-t-stop-thieves-they-just-keep/) [William Hertling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hertling/) > [“Emotions are an indicator of evolved intelligence, an optimization of the system to shortcut logic circuits and reduce computational load.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hertling/emotions-are-an-indicator-of-evolved-intelligence-an-optimization-of/) [William Hertling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hertling/) > [“But these AI lived at anywhere from a hundred to ten thousand times the rate of humans. In a calendar year they lived as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hertling/but-these-ai-lived-at-anywhere-from-a-hundred-to-ten-thousand-times/) [William Hertling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hertling/) > [“We regret that we cannot return them to you,” Sister Stephens responded. “We now live in them. All your computer are belong to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hertling/we-regret-that-we-cannot-return-them-to-you-sister-stephens-responded/) [William Hertling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hertling/) [Explore all 6 William Hertling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hertling/) ## More End time quotes > [To me, the beauty of a quilt or a dress lies within the stitches and the thought of the person who made them. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie/to-me-the-beauty-of-a-quilt-or-a-dress-lies-within-the-stitches-and/) [Natalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie/) > [When somebody comes across as authentic and genuine and sweet, people just want to spend time with that person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-holmes/when-somebody-comes-across-as-authentic-and-genuine-and-sweet-people/) [Pete Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-holmes/) > [I think that if I'm being brutally honest, I fill my cup up by isolating myself and having solitude. Time to just meditate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doechii/i-think-that-if-i-m-being-brutally-honest-i-fill-my-cup-up-by/) [Doechii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doechii/) > [When I am not playing or practising, I like to spend time with the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-lewis/when-i-am-not-playing-or-practising-i-like-to-spend-time-with-the/) [Adrian Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-lewis/) > [It's very important for me to spend time with my family and my friends and disconnect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-cooper/it-s-very-important-for-me-to-spend-time-with-my-family-and-my/) [Alex Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-cooper/) > [“Spend time with people who enrich your mind, nourish your heart, and illuminate your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/spend-time-with-people-who-enrich-your-mind-nourish-your-heart-and/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [There should be a period of time during each practice session when you perform. Invite some friends in to your practice room and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-jacobs/there-should-be-a-period-of-time-during-each-practice-session-when/) [Arnold Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-jacobs/) > [Ireland's always going to be my home, but so much is filmed in L.A., so you have to spend time out here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bolger/ireland-s-always-going-to-be-my-home-but-so-much-is-filmed-in-l-a-so/) [Sarah Bolger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bolger/) > [“Law 5: Upgrade your systems for living. Extraordinary minds consistently spend time discovering, upgrading, and measuring new systems for living applied to life, work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vishen-lakhiani/law-5-upgrade-your-systems-for-living-extraordinary-minds/) [Vishen Lakhiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vishen-lakhiani/) > [I spend time in the classroom. I think more of them aren't political science than are political science. I particularly like talking to journalism…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-edgar/i-spend-time-in-the-classroom-i-think-more-of-them-aren-t-political/) [Jim Edgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-edgar/) > [“She was one of those exceptional children who do still spend time outside, in solitude. In her case nature represented beauty - and refuge.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/she-was-one-of-those-exceptional-children-who-do-still-spend-time/) [Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/) > [I've ultimately decided that I will not play this NBA season. I'm going to take the remainder of this season, as well as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-allen/i-ve-ultimately-decided-that-i-will-not-play-this-nba-season-i-m/) [Ray Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-allen/) > [“The very best memories of my life happened when I was broke, had nothing, was nobody. We came to the city and all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-l-gardner/the-very-best-memories-of-my-life-happened-when-i-was-broke-had/) [M.L. Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-l-gardner/) > [“Short-termism also dominates in the marketplace. The market uses a discount rate of 10% per year (or more) when comparing costs now with benefits…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-rgen-randers/short-termism-also-dominates-in-the-marketplace-the-market-uses-a/) [Jørgen Randers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-rgen-randers/) > [Spend time reflecting on your emotional and physical existence and how that applies to the voice. You have to apply that wisdom and experience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-d-lang/spend-time-reflecting-on-your-emotional-and-physical-existence-and/) [K. D. Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-d-lang/) [Browse all 1,363 End time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Shirky pointed out that Americans watched a hundred million hours of television advertising every single weekend. In other words, we could have been creating another Wikipedia-sized project every week. But we didn’t, because most people don’t do that. They don’t spend time creating or learning. 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