AI Podcast: The Death of Critical Thinking

The Death of Critical Thinking

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We have witnessed a multi-generational decline in reading comprehension. We read less, retain less of what we read, and struggle to engage in critical analysis. And if this trend continues, we risk undermining the very foundations of our society.

In the bite-sized content and viral media age, too many of us have lost — or are losing — the focus and patience for lengthy, complex texts. We skim and scan instead of closely reading. Our attention spans have shrunk to mere seconds. While technology has enabled the wide dissemination of information, it has also fragmented our thinking. We are overwhelmed by noise and sensationalism.

Transcript

All right. So you wanted to unpack how the digital age is like messing with our ability to think critically, especially when it comes to reading. Yeah. We found this really interesting article. The death of critical thinking will kill us long before AI. And it, uh, it says something pretty wild. Deep reading is.

Like dying out, and that's a way bigger deal than most people realize. It is. What I find fascinating is we're not just like reading less, you know, we're actually losing the ability to really like engage deeply and analytically with information. So it's not just skimming headlines anymore, it's like are we actually losing the ability to actually get the substance of what we're reading?

Exactly. Okay. The article, uh, brought up this study that showed that people nowadays, on average, only spend like 17 minutes a day reading books. Oh, wow. Compared to almost an hour, like two decades ago. And it's not even just the time, it's about how we're reading, too. Okay, so we're reading less, but is that affecting how much we're actually understanding and remembering?

It really seems like it. Research on multitasking shows that all this digital stimulation is actually rewiring our brains. Like there was this one study where people who multitask a lot scored like 20 percent lower on memory tests. Wow, 20%? Yeah. That's huge. Compared to people who just focused on one thing at a time.

Yeah, I definitely get caught in that endless scroll thing. Yeah. But I never thought about Like, what it's doing to my brain. And, and the scary part is, it's like, it's designed that way, right? Yeah. Like, all these apps with the pull to refresh or autoplay videos. Right. They're made to keep us hooked on that instant gratification.

So it makes it harder to focus on anything that needs, like, sustained attention. It's like they're training us for distraction. Instead of like going deep, but the article doesn't just put all the blame on technology. Yeah, you're right It goes a little deeper it talks about how news outlets are under so much pressure to get clicks that they end up having to like Choose clicks over actual in depth reporting, right?

Right. So even when we do read the news It's often made for like quick consumption instead of deep analysis and then there's education, too I remember a lot of school was just about memorizing facts Instead of, you know, really thinking critically about things. Yeah, it's a systemic issue. Like the article says a lot of education systems focus more on rote learning than on actually building critical thinking skills.

And when you connect all of the technology, the media, the education, you start to see this bigger trend. Yeah, it's kind of, uh, unsettling to think about all these forces pushing us away from deep thinking. Mm hmm. So, what can we even do about it? Like, if I'm constantly being bombarded with clickbait and, like, designed to be distracted, how do I, how do I fight back against that?

That's the big question. And the article does have some ideas. But before we get to that, it actually takes things a step further. It argues that this whole decline in deep reading has consequences that go way beyond just not finishing a book. It affects how we see the world, how we make decisions, how we talk to each other.

You're saying it's about more than just reading. It's about. How we deal with information in general exactly and that's where things get really interesting. So how does this like lack of deep reading? Show up in our lives. It feels like it's got to be more than just not finishing the book on my nightstand, right?

Yeah, it is way bigger than that The article says we're like losing our grip on complex issues and we're not thinking critically anymore Mm hmm, and we're not having those reasoned debates anymore, right? You It even uses this phrase, reducing everything to soundbites and emotional reactions. Yeah, that makes sense.

Ugh. It's like everyone's just reacting to headlines instead of actually, like, digging deeper into the issues. Didn't the article talk about how politics are becoming more about tribalism? Yeah, exactly. Political policy discussion. Exactly. And it's not just politics either. Mm hmm. Like it gives these examples about businesses making decisions based on gut feelings instead of like, careful analysis, you know, Imagine like what happens to something like the economy if the people in charge aren't really thinking things through, right?

Yeah, that's a little, uh, that's a little scary, honestly. So like, what happens to truth? In a world like that, if everyone is just reacting emotionally and not thinking critically. Well, the article brings up this really unsettling question. What happens to our ability to solve problems as a society if we lose that shared foundation of critical thinking?

You know what I mean? Yeah. It paints a pretty bleak picture. And then it takes us even further, right? It says that this death of critical thinking is a bigger threat than AI. Honestly that felt a little, you know, dramatic to me at first. I get why you'd say that. But like, think of it this way. AI might be dangerous, but it's still something created by humans.

Right. But if we lose the ability to think critically, to ask questions, to analyze, then we're basically setting ourselves up to be manipulated, right? Whether it's by an algorithm or another person. So it's not about fearing AI itself, but it's fearing what happens if we're not equipped to use it responsibly and to see its limits.

Exactly. Yeah. What the article is saying is that our own minds are the most powerful tools that we have. Mm hmm. But we have to keep them sharp. We can't just keep taking in information passively. So how do we do that? Do we all have to suddenly become Philosophy majors. No, it doesn't have to be that drastic.

Okay. The article actually gives some practical advice for how we can sharpen our critical thinking skills even in this digital world that we're living in. It talks about, you know, consciously applying those critical reading skills to everything we see online, reading different kinds of things, and taking time to actually think about what we're taking in.

That sounds pretty doable at least. And to be honest, I've already started trying to diversify my reading a little bit. I've been making an effort to. Like expose myself to different political views, which is definitely a challenge sometimes, but it's made me more aware of my own biases for sure. Yeah, that's a great example.

And it highlights that, you know, critical thinking isn't about just accepting everything you read, right? It's about really engaging. With the material even when it challenges you it's about asking where is this coming from what biases might the author have? What's the evidence, you know, it's like you become kind of like a detective, you know Piecing together clues to figure out what's really going on.

I like that a digital detective Yeah, it makes it seem more active and engaging but the article also mentions Taking time for reflection, right? Is that even possible in a world where everything's moving so fast? Yeah, that's the challenge, isn't it? But even little changes can make a difference. Okay.

Instead of just scrolling forever, maybe choose one article each day and really spend some time thinking about it. You know? Okay. Ask yourself things like, what did I learn? How does this connect to other things I know? What new questions does this make me think about? So, it's about slowing down and actually thinking about the information, instead of just, you know, taking it all in without really processing it.

But, you know, I'm starting to see how this is a way bigger issue than just personal choices. How do we even begin to tackle something this big though? Right. We can't just tell everyone to think more, right? Yeah, you're getting at a really important point. The article argues that we need some bigger societal changes to really address this.

Like, we need to rethink how our education systems work so they focus more on critical thinking skills. We have to support good quality journalism that values depth over just getting clicks. And maybe the most important thing is finding ways to create an online environment that encourages thoughtful engagement instead scrolling.

So it's a, it's a multi pronged approach, I guess, but that makes it feel easy. Even more overwhelming. Like, where do we even begin with all of that? Yeah. It really does feel like we need a pretty big change in our culture, right? It's not just about tweaking a few things here and there. We need to, like, rethink our whole relationship with information, especially online.

You're exactly right. But the good news is that the article gives us some concrete things we can start doing right now, both as individuals and as a society. Let's start with what you can do personally to, you know, start flexing those critical thinking muscles. Okay, so, like, what's the first step? Do I need to delete all my social media and just live in the library now?

No, no. Not that extreme. It's more about being mindful of what you're consuming online. Think of it like, you know, choosing healthy food for your brain. Instead of just scrolling mindlessly, ask yourself, what am I getting out of this? Is this just entertainment? Am I actually learning something new? Is it challenging my, So it's not about cutting out technology entirely, it's about being more intentional about how I use it.

Exactly. Okay. That feels a lot less scary. And remember that idea about diversifying your reading. That's really powerful. We talked about you exploring different political views, which is great, but you can take it even further. Like, are you reading different kinds of books? Are you reading authors from different backgrounds and experiences?

The more you mix things up, the more well rounded your understanding of the world will become. Yeah, I can see how that would help me break out of my own little bubble and see things from different perspectives. But to be honest, sometimes it feels like there's just so much information out there and it's all conflicting.

It makes it hard to know what to believe. Like, doesn't more information just lead to more confusion? That's a really good point, and this is where the article's emphasis on reflection is so important. It's not just about taking in more information, it's about taking the time to really think about it, to question it, and to form your own conclusions.

So it's like that saying, it's not what you eat, it's what you digest. Right. Except it's about information instead of food. Exactly. Don't just accept things blindly. Ask yourself, what are the author's biases? What evidence are they giving? Does this match up with other things I know? What other questions does this raise for me?

That makes a lot of sense. But it does take a lot more effort than just, like, Passively reading whatever pops up on my screen. It does, but that's also what makes critical thinking so powerful. It's about taking an active role in shaping how you see the world instead of just letting the world shape you.

Okay, so those are some good tips for individuals. But what about the bigger picture? How do we start changing our culture to actually value critical thinking? Well, the article talks about three main areas. Education, media, and technology. We've already touched on education a bit, but it's worth saying again.

We need to move away from just memorizing facts. And actually teach kids how to analyze information, how to spot bad arguments, and how to make their own strong arguments. So, like, give them the tools to be critical thinkers instead of just being, you know, containers for information. Exactly. And that connects to the media piece, too.

If we want people to be more informed and engaged, we need good quality journalism that prioritizes depth and accuracy instead of just catchy headlines and clickbait. I mean, that's easier said than done, though, right? Those clickbait headlines are designed to suck you in. It's a tough challenge. But it's crucial that we support and demand journalism that holds people accountable, gives us context, and helps us understand complex issues.

And then there's the whole technology piece. That feels like the trickiest one to me. Mm hmm. How do we even begin to push for an online environment that actually helps people think critically? Well it starts with holding the companies who create these platforms accountable. We can push them to care more about the well being of their users than just how much time they spend on their apps.

We can demand more transparency about how their algorithms work. And we can advocate for features that actually encourage critical thinking. So instead of just feeding us what they think we want to see, they could actually build in things that challenge our assumptions or show us different perspectives.

Exactly. And there are already groups out there working on this. Some are making browser extensions that can help you identify fake news or fact check things you read online. It's not about rejecting technology altogether, it's about using it to become better critical thinkers. This whole deep dive has really given me a lot to think about.

It's a big challenge, but it's also inspiring to see that there are people working on solutions, and that we can all do our part to create a future where critical thinking matters. Absolutely. The future of critical thinking really is in our hands. And remember, it's not about being perfect. It's about being curious, being skeptical, and being willing to engage with the world thoughtfully.

I love that. And on that note, we're going to wrap up this deep dive. We hope this conversation gave you some new insights and, you know, maybe inspired you to flex those critical thinking muscles a bit. What really stuck with you today? What are you going to do to become a more discerning consumer of information?

We'd love to hear from you. Share your takeaways with us on social media and keep the conversation going. Until next time, keep those minds sharp and keep diving deep.