Is the internet making us stupider?

We have access to more information than ever before, but how do we know if what we're seeing is true?

Here's my original post; https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdEUM8oMPzk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

“Is the internet making us stupider?  Welcome to my Wednesday thoughts.

Now I’m not a doctor, a scientist, or someone with a PhD.  I’m just a regular person who did ok at school.  I didn’t do A-levels, I went to art college instead, but I still remember Ms Smith (shoutout Kingsbrook Secondary!) drilling one thing into us during History GCSE: Point. Evidence. Explanation. And that middle word, ‘evidence’, seems to be getting forgotten about.

The internet is really great! You can make new connections, entertain yourself for hours and learn all the completely random things you could possibly want, but there’s a catch!  How do you know if what you’re hearing online is actually true? Because there are a lot of people who are incredibly good at presenting an opinion in a way that sounds like a fact.  When you hear something from someone who seems confident enough, it’s really easy to think, “surely they must know what they’re talking about!”  But confidence isn't evidence. And having a lot of followers isn't evidence. And a screenshot with a random statistic on it isn't automatically evidence.

I think we’re in this weird situation where we have access to more information than ever before, but we’re not necessarily getting better at understanding information. We’re simply getting better at consuming it.

We don't often stop to think, Where did this information come from?  What’s the evidence?  Could there be another explanation?  And, probably most importantly, do I believe this because it’s actually true or because I really want it to be true?

I’m certainly not saying I’m immune to this at all and I think that’s the point.  Critical thinking isn't about being the smartest person it’s just about being willing to say, “wait, how do we actually know that?” And maybe that’s the bit we need to get better at.”