Are We Losing Our Ability to Think Critically?

Credit: Adam Good

Samuel Greengard

July 1, 2009

Computer technology has enhanced lives in countless ways, but some experts believe it might be affecting people's ability to think deeply.

Something is more needed to do to face the challenge of Computer, vedio games and Internet to adversely unaffect the way we must think critically and creatively.
--P R Ambedkar

— Anonymous, June 14, 2011

Critical thinking skills are deteriorating because our plastic brains develop in response to needs. As public schools continue to be content rather than reasoning based, and positive adult role modelling and environmental interaction decrease, critical thinking skills in children will continue to deteriorate. Reinforce that with the immediate gratification of scanning short texts as teenagers and too much information to efficiently handle as adults and this situation will continue to get worse - to society's detriment. Fortunately neuroplasticity programs such as Combat Brain Training (originally developed for the military where critical thinking is a life or death issue)are becoming available to the general public. These techniques can make positive changes in thinking skills using methods any age can perform but it takes work. Because we learn best "analog" (multiple sensory inputs) but digital is so much easier, in the end, the question won't be if this negative trend can be reversed, but will anyone expend the effort necessary to do it?

— Anonymous, November 8, 2011

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Are We Losing Our Ability to Think Critically?

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