How Facebook Is the New Napster

Big Think Home
  • Search
    Popular Searches
    Critical thinkingPhilosophyEmotional IntelligenceFree Will
    Latest Videos
    Latest Articles
  • Topics

    Philosophy

    • Ethics
    • Religion
    • Flourishing
    • Knowledge
    • Philosophy of Science
    • Philosophy of Art
    • Language
    • Political Theory
    • Identity
    • Meaning & Purpose

    Science & Tech

    • Physics
    • Biology
    • Aerospace
    • Health
    • Geology
    • Computing
    • Engineering
    • Energy
    • Biotechnology
    • Astronomy

    Mind & Behavior

    • Psychology
    • Neuroscience
    • Decision-Making
    • Mental Health
    • Consciousness
    • Emotional Intelligence
    • Personality
    • Relationships
    • Parenting

    Business

    • Entrepreneurship
    • Leadership
    • Finance
    • Marketing
    • Innovation
    • Strategy
    • Management
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Startups
    • Economics

    History & Society

    • History
    • Literature
    • Art
    • Music
    • Film
    • Progress
    • Culture
    • Sociology
    • Policy
    • Geopolitics
  • Latest
  • Videos
    Latest Videos
    A man wearing glasses and a navy blazer speaks while gesturing with his hands against a plain white background.
    The trick that offloads intrusive thoughts so your brain can actually work
    with David Epstein
    MRI brain scan images with a large red heart shape digitally added to the center of the brain on the main scan in the middle.
    The chemical reason love makes you irrational
    with Meghan Sullivan
    Illustration of a shadowy, humanoid creature with glowing eyes, long fingers, and pointed ears, hunched over against a green background.
    How one decision can create “a new self”
    with L.A. Paul
    A man wearing glasses and a dark blazer gestures with his left hand while looking forward against a plain light background.
    The unpopular truth about the myth of the lone genius
    with David Epstein
    Play this card game to solve your team’s biggest problem
    with David Sherwin
    A man sits on a chair with hands folded in his lap, facing forward, against a white backdrop with green and teal concentric circles in the background.
    The psychological reason complete freedom is a creative dead end
    with David Epstein
    See All
  • Columns
    Text "MINI PHILOSOPHY" on a black torn paper background, surrounded by sketches, handwritten notes, and artwork fragments.
    Mini Philosophy A philosophy column for personal reflection.
    Text "STARTS WITH A BANG" in bold white letters over a background of stars and colorful nebulae in outer space.
    Starts With A Bang An astrophysics column on big questions and our universe.
    A woman lies down reading a book, with the word "BOOKS" in large white letters and a stylized open book icon replacing the letter "O.
    Books A literature column to feed your curiosity.
    Four blurred orange butterflies in motion surround the phrase "the LONG GAME" in white text on a black background.
    The Long Game A business column on long-term thinking.
    White text "Strange Maps" on a dark green background featuring faint outlines of a vintage map.
    Strange Maps A geography column on history and society.
    The Well A collection of essays and videos on life’s biggest questions.
    Two astronauts stand on a rocky, pinkish-purple surface in space with the number 13.8 in large white font across the center of the image.
    13.8 A column at the intersection of science and culture.
    Work Wise A behavioral scientist’s weekly playbook for smarter work and a deeper life.
  • Classes
    Featured Classes
    Illustration of a human head in profile with a visible brain and a beam of light projecting from the forehead, set against a background of concentric circles.
    Members
    10 videos
    Pay Attention to Your Attention
    Amishi Jha
    Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, Author “Peak Mind”
    A middle-aged man with short hair and a beard, wearing a suit jacket, looks directly at the camera. The image has a transparent overlay framing his face.
    Members
    6 videos
    Make Deals Like an FBI Negotiator
    Chris Voss
    CEO – Founder, The Black Swan Group
    A grid with two grayscale portraits of older men with glasses and curly hair, separated by pink and orange geometric shapes.
    Members
    5 videos
    How to Recognize Bad Arguments
    Multiple Instructors
    An older man with short gray hair and glasses, wearing a blue striped shirt and a red sweater, is framed by an orange translucent square overlay.
    Members
    6 videos
    A Primatologist’s Guide to Human Behavior
    Frans de Waal
    C.H. Candler Professor Emeritus at EMORY University, Atlanta, GA
    A man with short black hair, wearing a dark collared shirt, smiling at the camera against a plain light background.
    Members
    10 videos
    How to Outsmart Misinformation
    Alex Edmans
    Professor of Finance, London Business School, and Author, May Contain Lies
    A four-panel image: a serving tray, a key symbol, a smiley face, and a smiling man in the bottom right corner. The colors are muted purple and beige.
    Members
    6 videos
    The Secrets of Unreasonable Hospitality
    Will Guidara
    Restaurateur and Author, Unreasonable Hospitality
    Browse
  • Store
  • More
    • Newsletters
    • Monthly Issues
    • Events
    • Big Think+ Learning
    • Creative Studio
    • Advertise with Us
    • About
    • Careers
    • View our Twitter (X) feed
      View our Youtube channel
      View our Instagram feed
      View our Substack feed
      View our Spotify feed
Sign In Membership
  • My account
    • My Classes
    • My Account
    • My List
    • BT+ for my Business
    • Early Releases
    • Sign Out
  • Membership
  • Latest
  • Topics
    Back

    Philosophy

    • Ethics
    • Religion
    • Flourishing
    • Knowledge
    • Philosophy of Science
    • Philosophy of Art
    • Language
    • Political Theory
    • Identity
    • Meaning & Purpose

    Science & Tech

    • Physics
    • Biology
    • Aerospace
    • Health
    • Geology
    • Computing
    • Engineering
    • Energy
    • Biotechnology
    • Astronomy

    Mind & Behavior

    • Psychology
    • Neuroscience
    • Decision-Making
    • Mental Health
    • Consciousness
    • Emotional Intelligence
    • Personality
    • Relationships
    • Parenting

    Business

    • Entrepreneurship
    • Leadership
    • Finance
    • Marketing
    • Innovation
    • Strategy
    • Management
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Startups
    • Economics

    History & Society

    • History
    • Literature
    • Art
    • Music
    • Film
    • Progress
    • Culture
    • Sociology
    • Policy
    • Geopolitics
  • Videos
    Back
    Latest Videos
    See all videos
    A man wearing glasses and a navy blazer speaks while gesturing with his hands against a plain white background.
    The trick that offloads intrusive thoughts so your brain can actually work David Epstein, author of Range and Inside the Box, breaks down what's actually happening inside the brain when we multitask,...
    MRI brain scan images with a large red heart shape digitally added to the center of the brain on the main scan in the middle.
    The chemical reason love makes you irrational Falling in love can feel like finding “the one.” But to your brain, romance may look less like affection and...
    Illustration of a shadowy, humanoid creature with glowing eyes, long fingers, and pointed ears, hunched over against a green background.
    How one decision can create “a new self” From Copernicus to Flatland, Yale philosopher L.A. Paul shares examples of transformative experiences, and how participating in them changes more...
    A man wearing glasses and a dark blazer gestures with his left hand while looking forward against a plain light background.
    The unpopular truth about the myth of the lone genius David Epstein argues that the myth of the lone genius is a story we tell, but the actual history of...
    Play this card game to solve your team’s biggest problem The $25 card game that unlocks high-achieving teams.
    A man sits on a chair with hands folded in his lap, facing forward, against a white backdrop with green and teal concentric circles in the background.
    The psychological reason complete freedom is a creative dead end David Epstein walks through decades of research exploring why constraints, not freedom, are the engine behind creativity, focus, and breakthrough.
    A woman sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop, gesturing with her hands. Shelves with books and decor are visible in the background. The BT logo is in the bottom left corner.
    Body language expert: 7 cues that make you instantly more likable Body language expert Vanessa Van Edwards shares a genius formula to create a lasting first impression while debunking body-language myths...
    A vintage illustration of a woman with a pensive expression, resting her head on her hand, overlaid with swirling white lines.
    Think you’ve been grieving for too long? You’re wrong. Older cultures made room for mourning. Today, we often rush it, and it comes with a cost. Three experts explain.
  • Columns
    Back
    Columns
    Text "MINI PHILOSOPHY" on a black torn paper background, surrounded by sketches, handwritten notes, and artwork fragments.
    Mini Philosophy A philosophy column for personal reflection.
    Text "STARTS WITH A BANG" in bold white letters over a background of stars and colorful nebulae in outer space.
    Starts With A Bang An astrophysics column on big questions and our universe.
    A woman lies down reading a book, with the word "BOOKS" in large white letters and a stylized open book icon replacing the letter "O.
    Books A literature column to feed your curiosity.
    Four blurred orange butterflies in motion surround the phrase "the LONG GAME" in white text on a black background.
    The Long Game A business column on long-term thinking.
    White text "Strange Maps" on a dark green background featuring faint outlines of a vintage map.
    Strange Maps A geography column on history and society.
    The Well A collection of essays and videos on life’s biggest questions.
    Two astronauts stand on a rocky, pinkish-purple surface in space with the number 13.8 in large white font across the center of the image.
    13.8 A column at the intersection of science and culture.
  • Classes
    Back
    Featured Classes
    See all classes
    Illustration of a human head in profile with a visible brain and a beam of light projecting from the forehead, set against a background of concentric circles.
    Members
    10 videos
    Pay Attention to Your Attention
    Amishi Jha
    Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami, Author “Peak Mind”
    A middle-aged man with short hair and a beard, wearing a suit jacket, looks directly at the camera. The image has a transparent overlay framing his face.
    Members
    6 videos
    Make Deals Like an FBI Negotiator
    Chris Voss
    CEO – Founder, The Black Swan Group
    A grid with two grayscale portraits of older men with glasses and curly hair, separated by pink and orange geometric shapes.
    Members
    5 videos
    How to Recognize Bad Arguments
    Multiple Instructors
    An older man with short gray hair and glasses, wearing a blue striped shirt and a red sweater, is framed by an orange translucent square overlay.
    Members
    6 videos
    A Primatologist’s Guide to Human Behavior
    Frans de Waal
    C.H. Candler Professor Emeritus at EMORY University, Atlanta, GA
    A man with short black hair, wearing a dark collared shirt, smiling at the camera against a plain light background.
    Members
    10 videos
    How to Outsmart Misinformation
    Alex Edmans
    Professor of Finance, London Business School, and Author, May Contain Lies
    A four-panel image: a serving tray, a key symbol, a smiley face, and a smiling man in the bottom right corner. The colors are muted purple and beige.
    Members
    6 videos
    The Secrets of Unreasonable Hospitality
    Will Guidara
    Restaurateur and Author, Unreasonable Hospitality
  • Store
  • My Account
    Back
    • My Classes
    • My Account
    • My List
    • BT+ for my Business
    • Early Releases
    • Sign Out
  • More
    Back
    • Newsletters
    • Monthly Issues
    • Events
    • Big Think+ Learning
    • Creative Studio
    • Advertise with Us
    • About
    • Careers
    • View our Twitter (X) feed
      View our Youtube channel
      View our Instagram feed
      View our Substack feed
      View our Spotify feed
  • Sign In
  • Membership
View our Twitter (X) feed
View our Youtube channel
View our Instagram feed
View our Substack feed
View our Spotify feed
Search
Popular Searches
Critical thinkingPhilosophyEmotional IntelligenceFree Will
Latest Videos
Latest Articles

How Facebook Is the New Napster

by
Clay Shirky
February 1, 2011
Get the Big Think newsletter on Substack
Clay Shirky

NYU Interactive Telecommunications Professor

Full Profile
Monthly Issue May 2026
The Power of Play
In this monthly issue, we take a closer look at how games, imagination, and creative experimentation shape identity and culture.
1 video 15 articles
Two hands are positioned on either side of a red circle against a plain white background.
White rectangular logo with the words "BIG THINK" in bold capital letters, situated above a horizontal line with blurred text beneath.

Feed your curiosity

Unlock every video, every lesson, and every insight Big Think has to offer. Join today and start learning without limits.

Become a Member
Already a member? Click to sign in

Related Content

The Present

Election results: How Twitter, Facebook plan to block misinformation

Both social media companies plan to implement special protocols on Tuesday as election results begin rolling in.

by Stephen Johnson
The Present

Anti-vax disinformation spreads unchecked on Facebook

Despite fact check campaigns, anti-vaccination influence is growing.

by Derek Beres
The Present

Facebook finally adds option to delete old posts in batches

Got any embarrassing old posts collecting dust on your profile? Facebook wants to help you delete them.

by Stephen Johnson
The Present

Public health crisis: Facebook ads misinform about HIV prevention drug

Facebook's misinformation isn't just a threat to democracy. It's endangering lives.

by Molly Hanson
Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.
  • Videos
    • Latest
    • The Big Think Interview
  • Columns
    • Mini Philosophy
    • Starts with a Bang
    • Big Think Books
    • The Long Game
    • Strange Maps
    • 13.8
    • Work Wise
    • The Well
    • Perception Box
    • Rethinking Possible
  • Sections
    • Philosophy
    • Mind & Behavior
    • Science & Tech
    • Business
    • History & Society
  • Classes
    • Class Library
  • Special Issues
    • The Consciousness Issue
    • The Pursuit of Mastery
    • Biology's New Era
    • The Roots of Resilience
    • The Energy Transition
    • All Special Issues >
  • Subscribe
    • Membership
    • Free Newsletters
  • Partner
    • Big Think+ Learning
    • Creative Studio
    • Advertise with Us
    • Events
  • More
    • Store
    • About
    • Careers
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Sale
    • Accessibility
View our Twitter (X) feed
View our Youtube channel
View our Instagram feed
View our Substack feed
View our Spotify feed
© Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.