return to thinking critically

Being able to critically think means all aspects of information are questioned and are not immediately accepted as true or logical. Thinking critically entails being mindful of information one experiences. The most difficult aspect of this is knowing what “being mindful” means. In terms of research and information originating from the internet, there are tools available to check and double check facts and sources such as factcheck.org and easywhois.com. These are only two of the possible resources available to someone thinking critically about the origin and validity of information from the internet, i.e. being mindful of the information obtained via the internet.

Thinking is a skill most humans possess as it is important to survive on a basic level. There are essentially three main aspects of thinking that most people use on a daily basis: problem solving, judging what is true, and weighing the pros and cons of decision making (Gleitman, Fridlund, & Reisberg, 2004). For example, on a basic level, if there is no food in the house, it requires thinking to resolve this issue or else one would die after a few days. Similarly, if you walk into the basement at night, there is a truth that you need to flip the light switch on to see clearly to not hurt or break anything. These are of course very basic examples that do require thinking on a somewhat primal level.

On the other hand, thinking critically is not necessarily inherent in human behavior. (In terms of “inherent behavior,” human characteristics such as hunger leading to seeking food, cold prompting putting on a jacket, etc. are behaviors and patterns of thought that do not necessarily need to be taught; they are part of survival). One could argue critical thinking is not part of survival. Instead critical thinking is a product and characteristic of advanced cognitive functioning in humans. With less of a concern for survival, humans are able to focus on other aspects of themselves and their environment. With the explosion of media and the ubiquity and ease of access to media, critical thinking and evaluation of these media can be focused on more closely.

Prior to this critical thinking course, I was not consciously aware of the use of media in the workplace. Instead, using tools like a team wiki for gathering and consolidating information was second nature to the work environment. One of the primary purposes of (social) media in the workplace is to communicate. We no longer rely on physical methods of communication but rather place a heavy emphasis on digital communication such as mobile phones, instant messaging, and all things related to computers. Other aspects of the world have undergone this digital transformation, as life becomes more digital and less physical. An example of this would be the rise of the digital book, famously through the Kindle. As these changes happen, psychologists are there to poke and prod around the digital revolution. Are these changes for the best? Is less physical contact with co-workers an acceptable substitute to the digital replacement? Questions like these are products of thinking critically about the situation in order to understand how these changes will affect people.

My use of media, nor my critical thinking skills have not changed since the beginning and continuation of this critical thinking class. What has changed is the way in which I view media. Most of my exposure to media prior to this class was almost strictly passive. (Being “passive” means I am consuming media without thinking beyond the media. I am using Facebook, or watching television, or reading the news online, or tweeting, or emailing but I am not engaged beyond the purpose of the media. I am a passive user and not thinking critically about what I am doing or how my actions will impact and influence myself and others as entities in this media-centric world). Engaging media now entails adding a layer of critical thinking to understand how the media are affecting me and how these effects are translated into my psyche, hence media psychology. For example, humans are social creatures. With a digitized world located at every corner from mobile phones, to televisions, to computers, humans still need social interaction. Facebook thrives and profits off of this idea by creating a digital social hang out spot. Critically thinking about Facebook and media psychology, is the lack of physical interaction detrimental to the social aspect of human interaction or has Facebook successfully marketed an avenue to substitute physical interaction with digital interaction?

This question about the interactivity of Facebook raises the topic of joining two professional interests into one; psychology and visual media. There is no longer a need to keep these two fields separate but rather to find the points of intersection. When someone watches a film or sees a photograph, there are many processes occurring in the individual’s mind. Trying to tap into this individual’s experience (researching an introspective process that may not be behaviorally observable) will be the ultimate goal of finding the intersection between psychology and media. In order to accomplish this, thinking critically will be somewhat expected as finding testable methods to research effects of media will be a challenge.

References

Gleitman, H., Fridlund, A.J., & Reisberg, D. (Eds.). (2004). Psychology (6th ed.). New York: W.W. Norton and Company.