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Science & Technology
Humans may be getting worse at 'thinking things through' due to bite-sized social media posts and videos 'shortening our attention span', warns scientist
2022-04-24
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Get off my lawn, you stupid kids!
  • Scientist and Radio 4 host Jim Al-Khalili said 'we are arguably getting dumber'

  • The web and social media shorten our attention spans and squash brain capacity

  • He told The Mail: 'We are not prepared to spend time thinking things through'

  • In order to think properly again we must 'recapture shades of grey and nuance'
Posted by:Skidmark

#12  Many people around me think my ability to observe things going on around me (learned as a reporter) and draw conclusions from the observations is some kind of parlor trick or super-human power.

I've noticed this in my own life as well. An increasing number of people *can't* have an interesting conversation with you about (for example) the modern historical roots of the current conflict in Ukraine because they lack the skills necessary to know that they should consciously have a worldview with which to organize the information in the world around them. In fact, I encounter many who find the idea of thinking hard about what one should believe to be innately offensive.

Say what you will about the old communists: they didn't have this problem. They even read books and quaint things like that.
Posted by: Secret Master   2022-04-24 20:15  

#11  ^ True, true H.G. Wells and " Chinese as Morlocks". I am somewhat glad someone else sees the same. Wings over the world;

"Which shall it be"
Posted by: Dale   2022-04-24 17:05  

#10  The glazed over expression on my kids faces and "TMI" when something more complex than small-talk requires context and history is increasingly common. The grand-kids just avoid whole ranges of topics, because they literally have a very short attention span for complex stuff. They aren't stupid, far from it, but they are very ignorant and don't know it.
HG Wells and the mindless surface dwellers (Eloi) sadly seems more prescient than I imagined years ago. Worse, the Chinese as Morlocks is increasingly worrisome.
Posted by: NoMoreBS   2022-04-24 13:51  

#9  Criticalthinking is not taught in gummint schools.

Hell, reading, writing and arithmetic are not taught in gummint schools. Just look at the high school graduation rate and standardized test scores for any of our big city school districts. The percentage of kids below grade level is appalling.
Posted by: SteveS   2022-04-24 09:25  

#8  ^ AH; "Humility", A rare bird now protected species.
Posted by: Dale   2022-04-24 08:38  

#7  /\ ....strength is that I know how much I don't know.

First step in the road to Humility. I continue to visit there often.
Posted by: Besoeker   2022-04-24 08:01  

#6  Critical thinking is not taught in gummint schools. Doing actual background research in a subject is not taught in gummint schools. Many people around me think my ability to observe things going on around me (learned as a reporter) and draw conclusions from the observations is some kind of parlor trick or super-human power.

I spend a lot of time trying to nudge people around me in the right direction without acquiring the reputation of being a pedant or "know it all."

And I'm a guy whose personal intellectual strength is that I know how much I don't know.
Posted by: M. Murcek   2022-04-24 07:57  

#5  i blame the smart phone
Posted by: 746   2022-04-24 03:41  

#4  The Heathen Idol, or, "Focus, rubes, focus!"

"You really should think more, ideally
Like me, Dr. Jim al-Khalili!
Your eyeballs are vital,
For minds that are idle
Might not fund the Beeb quite so freely."

Or, Indistinguishable from Hocus-Pocus?
Posted by: Spelet Omorong6546   2022-04-24 02:40  

#3  
Posted by: Besoeker   2022-04-24 02:36  

#2  I blame ganja.
Posted by: badanov   2022-04-24 01:58  

#1  Yes, I see this also. Everyday people of all walks of life in a constant rush of activities.
Posted by: Dale   2022-04-24 01:12  

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