Many of the successful tools in the last 10 years are ones that have enhanced pre-existing modes of thought. The reason why people love seeing what other people are doing or thinking on the likes of Facebook or Twitter is that we love doing it offline – we’re social animals.
And that is why, he says, the internet in the 21st Century has become a humongous idea-making machine. Never before have we been able to disseminate our ideas with so many people, all over the world.
So while it might be hard to see how spending all day on Facebook can be a good thing, Thompson argues that logging on could help spark a little bit of genius in us all.
Clive Thompson spoke to BBC Future at SXSW Interactive in Austin Texas.
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