Jonibek Tolibovs | IELTS 8.5

Ana endi koradi hammasi 2-marta topshiray 🥲

Are we growing less intelligent?

Throughout these couple of months, I've noticed a total crisis of critical thinking in the newer generation (and ours - Generation Z). There isn't a shift in focus or anything, in fact, the focus is entirely swallowed by fast media, and trapped inside a very shallow way of thinking.

People are forgetting (or didn't know from the start) how to google.

As a fellow tech development enthusiast, I have nothing against the existence and usage of AI. However, the excessive dependence on these search engines not only has a bad effect on the environment (AI, especially deep learning models, requires significant computing power for training and operation, leading to increased energy demand and carbon emissions. Mentioned by Yale School of the Environment) but also leaves a deep dent in our brains.

Research done by Wineburg & McGrew from Stanford, mentions how students undergoing the study heavily relied on superficial cues (website design, URL) rather than critical analysis. This brings up the point: Digital natives struggle with evaluating credibility, a core critical thinking skill.

Some aren't just relying too much on AI to do the thinking, they've given up on hands-on research and looking up a few websites to gain credible pieces of info. AI search engines can sometimes generate incorrect or fabricated information, including citing non-existent sources. This further proves the point that looking up every single thing using AI is heavily disapproved.

Also, the feeling of just knowing that there's an answer to your question if you just type it into Chat-GPT may just raise the procrastination and refusal to dig further to learn something.
I find it interesting how people perceive themselves as smart individuals who know various pieces of information (which are from "did-you-know" type of videos from SM), yet refuse to read a few articles and don't even know what Google Scholar is.

Funny how we accused people of "googling" something, roasting them for not picking up a book in a library. Now, schools and colleges are actually teaching students to search for information online rather than relying solely on AI for answers.

I've been asked such basic, absurd questions that genuinely pull my mind into a spiraling swamp of "Do they really not know this?", "Can't they look it up on YouTube? There's a 2-minute video about it", "Did the official website of X vanish? Haven't they looked up the deadlines and requirements?"

I think it's about time to spread the harsh slap to help our communities realize how stupid we can get if we don't take action. Pick up a book, read a full article, or stroll around a museum.
Get smarter.
@infoseekermadina