The western mentality, which is to move from headline to headline without spending the time to read one and only one thing in full, or to listen to a full report from beginning to end for say 45 minutes or one hour full.
If you do not do this, you do not cultivate your ability to structure details and develop critical thinking in a structured way by collecting all the relevant information and disregarding what is just "noise".
For example, the reports of 2-3 liners are popular, so and so said this, and he concluded this, etc. etc. This is the trend definitely in many meditteranean countries, to be very very superficial and amateur completely, while Europe is also in a similar if not identical trajectory. This is how mass media manipulate opinions, by slogans, one-liner statements, catchy phrases, and big words without any real content.
This is further facilitated by the pseudo constructed culture which relies on (a) a severely weakened educational system that does no longer cultivate discipline and focus, and (b) the social media type communications, by exchanging brief numerous and of no content sms's and pictures.
The latter also has created an inflationary devaluation of the quality/value of communications and connection as well as of the meaning of photography as both a form of communication and of an art.
That's a thought-provoking question. I do think there are concerns about society's ability to structure details and develop critical thinking skills in today's information-rich environment. With the overwhelming amount of information available, it can be challenging to sift through the "noise" and focus on what's truly relevant.
One issue is the sheer volume of data we encounter daily, which can make it difficult to discern valuable information from irrelevant or misleading content. The rise of social media and the 24-hour news cycle often prioritize speed and sensationalism over depth and accuracy, which can contribute to a superficial understanding of complex issues.
Additionally, the ease of accessing information online can sometimes lead to a reliance on quick answers rather than a deeper, more analytical approach to problem-solving. This might result in a decline in critical thinking skills, as people may not always take the time to thoroughly evaluate sources or consider multiple perspectives.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. Many educational initiatives and tools are being developed to help individuals improve their critical thinking and information literacy skills. By emphasizing the importance of critical analysis and encouraging a more thoughtful approach to consuming information, we can help counteract these trends.
The world has changed, but not always in the right direction. Today's society, or at least some parts of it, often prefers form over substance, material over ideas, and temporality over lasting values. Information itself is not considered knowledge unless it solves problems, fosters intellectual independence, or contributes to human development. Half-disclosed or masked truth is nothing more than informational pollution, where the noise of illusion, like epistemic dust, distorts the purity of truth. Cognitive overload, filling the space of authentic knowledge, leaves no room for advancement and societal improvement. Volume has worn the mask of quality, deception has occupied the chair of reason, and the shadows of evil have tried to imitate the light of moral good.
I agree with you. Current trend is "optimizing time" and even when doing research, the huge amount of information available through Internet pushes us to scan material instead of thoroughly reading it. Social networks intensify the behavior making it normal in all aspects and making deep reflection appear like a loss of time. In this last aspect, clip thinking may be involved: Article Clip Thinking – What We Know So Far
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