Derek Thompson

Thompson is the author of Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction.

Recent Articles

Why It's Harder to Go Viral Than You Think

It’s fashionable to talk about ideas as if they were diseases. Some pop songs are infectious, and some products are contagious. To that end, advertisers and producers have developed a theory of “viral” marketing, which...

By Derek Thompson

The Myth of 'Going Viral' on the Internet

It's a lie we tell ourselves

By Derek Thompson
More from TIME
More From TIME