Jaron Lanier (Creative Commons)

Jaron Lanier, best known for coining the phrase "virtual reality" in the 1980s, said he's eschewed Web 2.0 because he thinks its emphasis on collectivism and collaboration stifles creativity.

"This incredible dogma that collaboration is more special than the people who create it is absolutely wrong," Lanier, USC Annenberg's innovator-in-residence, said to a handful of USC students and faculty Tuesday.

TIME named Lanier one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2010. His work includes developments in the fields of neuroscience and computers, a recent book called "You Are Not A Gadget," and a stint as a top blogger for the Huffington Post. 

As a blogger, Lanier said he felt compelled to "feed the beast" — to blog, Tweet and interact with his audience — on a daily basis to keep readers entertained in the 24-hour online environment.

"Social media was bringing out a part of me that I just hated," Lanier said. "I needed attention at every moment, needed approval, and I would piss people off just to get a reaction." 

So he quit. He stopped blogging, stopped Tweeting and stopped trolling the Internet.

Since he left the social media world, he said he's felt more innovative and creative. If everyone collaborates on everything, then nothing is original: it's all consensus and compromise rather than daring individuality.

He lingered on the point that creativity begins with individuality and expression begins with character. Lanier perhaps best demonstrated that point with his appearance: waist-length red dreadlocks, all-black attire and a pronounced slouch. 

"It might seem that fighting for popularity is the way to build yourself, but it's exactly the opposite," Lanier said. "You have to be somebody before you can share yourself."

Reach reporter Laura J. Nelson here.

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