Replies to post #497987 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[janice shell]

Critical thinking is being crushed by one time look ups and not actually fact checking or wondering why the answer is what it is.

Yes, that's true. Though some schools are now teaching it, which is a good thing.

It's not just smartphones, though. It's computers as well. Blame Google for its ease of use on both computers and phones. People who don't really have any idea what doing research entails. People who've never used a library. They just google whatever it is and accept the first result as Truth. And whether it IS Truth or not may depend on how the googler phrased his query.

[dukeb]

These same devices also cause people to not look WTF they are going. I can't tell you how many times I'll be walking on a sidewalk (keeping to the right) and some numbskull is walking toward me with their head down reading and texting on the phone. I have, on more than one occasion, walked directly into said numbskull practically knocking the phone out of their hand.

We're supposed to be watching out for these idiots?

There are studies out now that have found that the use of devices to look information up is dulling our abilities to think on our own.

[fuagf]

Spot on, though that's the negative. The positive is that there is so much more information at our fingertips. It's up to a more responsible and caring culture to help the young, and others, to use the portals to the information most constructively. Don't forget, information is power, in so many ways.