The Death of Original Thought
How Social Media Killed Critical Thinking
So check this out - I was scrolling through X the other day when I saw this perfect example of what's wrong with online discourse.
Someone had posted a detailed thread breaking down current economic trends. They weren't even pushing any particular viewpoint, just presenting the data.
The responses? "Touch grass" and a bunch of clown emojis.
No actual engagement with the numbers, no counter-arguments, just mindless reactions.
That's when it hit me - we've got a serious problem with critical thinking these days.
Yeah, the internet has been a great addition to society. It's revolutionized how we find information, work, and connect with like-minded people. But like anything good, there's always gonna be folks who miss the point entirely. And I've noticed a pattern with these people - they just seem to lack basic critical thinking skills.
Whether you want to blame the education system or the algorithms feeding us exactly what we want to hear, there's something about online spaces that breeds this kind of groupthink. People have forgotten how to form their own opinions.
Instead, they just react—usually with whatever talking point is trending that week.
I've spotted three main pillars of this critical thinking crisis. Let me break it down for you:
The Parrot Effect
First up is what I call "The Parrot Effect" - people just mindlessly repeating somebody else's talking points without adding any original thought.
I see this all the time on social media. Drop the word "capitalism" or "socialism" in a tweet, and watch how quickly people jump in with the exact same responses, word for word.
It's like they've got a script ready to go.
The Emotional Override
The second is pure emotional reaction - people taking everything personally instead of looking at it logically.
I get it, text can be tricky. You can't always tell if someone's being serious or just trolling.
But there's this quote from Marcus Aurelius that really hits home here: "We think more of ourselves than other people yet hold their opinions higher than our own." Basically, we're so worried about what others think, we forget to think for ourselves.
The Personal Attack Brigade
And lastly—ad hominem attacks. When someone can't argue with your point, they go after you instead.
It's like their brain short-circuits, and instead of engaging with the idea, they dive straight into "Well, you're probably just a [insert random insult here]!"
The Bigger Picture
Here's the thing - I don't really give a shit what people say about me personally. What bugs me is seeing how this lack of critical thinking is spreading.
We're creating these echo chambers where nobody knows how to question things anymore. They just react, get triggered, or attack.
Sometimes you'll see something so ridiculous that you want to jump in and correct it. But you know what?
Sometimes the best thing for you is to just keep scrolling past. Life's too short to argue with people who don't want to think.
But if you are going to engage online, do yourself (and everyone else) a favor: learn some critical thinking skills.
Learn to evaluate and analyze. Ask questions. Don't just assume.
Because at the end of the day, we're all capable of thinking critically. We've just gotten lazy about it.
Quote of the Day:
"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius
👉 If you enjoy reading this post, feel free to share it with friends!
Or feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
You can find me on X and LinkedIn.