Isn’t it sad that we now have to say our only hope is the next generation. But with this economy going down the drain and with all the wild machinations in the commodities markets and the likelihood of a default on US Treasury bills, you have to wonder if there will be a future left to for our children to hope for! There is some good news out there though.

It is no secret that watching TV stunts mental growth and prevents people from reaching their full potential. In the serious wealth creation game, television is the pacifier that placates the masses, feeding them the false drivel that the real financial movers and shakers want you to believe. The good news is this: Our kids might be getting bored with watching TV. That’s good news!

According to some intellectuals in the asset protection business, there is a new theory going around the financial circles that is gaining in popularity: It a theory called: Cognitive Surplus. Cognitive means related to thinking; surplus means extra. Get to the point, you are saying. Well, here’s the idea…

Following the Second World War, America had something truly new – millions of people with free time on their hands. In other words, masses of people with idling brains: A cognitive surplus.

Can you imagine what was done with their extra hours? They watched TV… for many hours, nearly every day of their lives. Collectively, Americans watch 200 billion hours of television per year.

Change is on the horizon. There are a number of reasons to think that this theory may be right, here is an example:

I was having dinner with a group of friends about a month ago, and one of them was talking about sitting with his four-year-old daughter watching a DVD. The movie is still running, but decorum aside, she flys away in a puff of hair and squeezes behind the screen. That seems like a cute moment. Maybe she’s going back there to see if Dora is really back there or whatever. I think her original purpose was not what I expected. She started rooting around in the cables. And her dad said, “What you doing?” Laughing she jumped up from behind the tv and giggled, “Trying to click no.”

If it doesn’t interact with you, then who cares if it’s targeted at you, and why bother watching it? Any young kid understands this.

If this theory is right, and if people do finally pull themselves away from their flashing images, the consequences could be staggering. Those 200 billion hours of TV watching are equal to the creation of 2,000 Wikipedias, every year. Think about that for a moment.  This cognitive surplus is huge, even if only one quarter of us cut back on our TV-watching and do something half productive.

How will this little girl spend her time as she grows up? Can you imagine what would happen if she gave half her mental excess energy to being creative with that mouse, instead of brainlessly watching TV? And what if her peers do the same? There are going to be some big changes happening. Very positive changes.

Doing something is almost always better than doing nothing. On the other hand, if you do nothing, you are – and remain – a zero, a non-event. A better future doesn’t just happen.

Hoping for a better future, do you think that putting our collective conciousness to better use will precipitate a better economy? How can you as an individual harness this power, either for investment purposes or in your life? All excellent points, which only have responses by testing them out. It’s really a question of how soon we can answer these inquiries if we really desire to fix the financial system. The real secret to generating wealth is using your cognitive surplus to your advantage!

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