Why are online games so addictive? It's mostly the narcotic appeal of 'leveling.' Clive Thompson addictiveappealgame Change image and share on social
The things kids can do on screens can be really delightful - if they are age appropriate. But no, they shouldn't spend all their time on a screen; they should split up their time doing multiple, different things. Clive Thompson agedelightfulkid share on social
We use paper documents to store knowledge so we can consult and reconsult it, giving us a type of recall impossible with our unaided minds; we use pencils to scratch down material so we can manipulate it in a fashion impossible in our unaided minds. Clive Thompson consultdocumentfashion share on social
The humanitarian developers behind World of Warcraft have also discovered a way to bribe gamers into turning off their computers and going outside. If you log off for a few days, your character will be more 'rested' when you resume playing, a mode that temporarily speeds up your leveling. Clive Thompson bribecharactercomputer share on social
There is something about the ability to externalize our thoughts and compare them with other people in a public way that is really transformative for the average person. Clive Thompson abilityaveragecompare Change image and share on social
I lust after iPods or Mini Coopers not because they're unique, but because they've been so artfully made that I couldn't imagine doing it better myself. Clive Thompson artfullycooperhave Change image and share on social
Transactive memory works best when you have a sense of how your partners' minds work - where they're strong, where they're weak, where their biases lie. I can judge that for people close to me. But it's harder with digital tools, particularly search engines. Clive Thompson biaseclosedigital share on social
We're dumber and less cognitively nimble if we're not around other people - and, now, other machines. Clive Thompson cognitivelydumbmachine Change image and share on social
Personally, I'd love to see more social media firms develop business models that aren't reliant on advertising. If you're a social media firm selling ads, your goal is to get people to interrupt what they're doing all day long so they come and stare at your service as much as possible. Clive Thompson advertisebusinessday share on social
More than any other modern tool, computers are a total mystery to their users. Most people never open them up to fix them or to see how they work. Clive Thompson computerfixmodern Change image and share on social