CRWT THE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS TO CRITICAL THINKING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Question 1

Aside from the emergence of fake news, which is considered as the biggest challenge after the advent of the internet and social media in particular, people in this generation are facing other barriers that affect the critical thinking process

Answer 1

Barriers in the 21st Century

Question 2

• is a natural tendency to view everything in relation to oneself,
  sometimes to a point of having narcissistic or messianic mindsets. This type of thinking leads to the inability to sympathize with others or analyze and evaluate various perspectives. Sadly, since most egocentric people are not willing or cannot see this character flaw within them, this increases the difficulty in overcoming the barrier.
• As students explore themselves and their rightful places where they can fill accepted and appreciated, egocentric thinking may become more apparent. After all, they need experiences, opportunities for debate, brainstorming sessions, and the chance to ask meaningful questions in order to recognize and understand the viewpoints of others. Problem arises when initial victory or compliment gets into their head, making them think that one opportune moment of success in the past can define all of their future actions and decisions.

Answer 2

Egocentric Thinking

Question 3

• is described as a mental phenomenon where people belonging to the same
  group adopt the same manner of thinking and the same principles, regardless of how irrational or illogical they are, for the sake of maintaining a harmonious relationship or reputation. This is how online trends start, as people start supporting trending opinions to feel relevant, acknowledged and given importance, to point when they no longer care if what they say online reflects their true opinions and values or not.
• can lead to unhealthy decision-making patterns. Like egocentric thinking, it
  is difficult to overcome. Breaking the cycle requires individuals to stand apart from the group and question opinions, thoughts, and popular ideas. This can be especially difficult for adolescents, but teachers can play a key role in encouraging independent thought and action in students.

Answer 3

Groupthink

Question 4

• If you have a drone mentality, this means you do not pay attention to what is going on around you. You only pay attention to your point of view from atop, not minding what really happens on the ground at face value. Daily routines often lead to a drone mentality and can prevent or cause a loss of critical thinking skills. This is especially true when your mind automatically ignores stressors even when they are necessary for you to understand reality.
• This mentality is dangerous in a classroom because learners forget how to respond to new circumstances. It also causes them to shy away from challenges for the sake of ease and convenience. They prefer to stay cooped up in their comfort zones, possibly due to fear of getting rejection, getting embarrassed in front of other people, or feeling disappointed of themselves.
• Teachers are students should be in constant connection with each other to removewhatever barrier there is that makes learning awkward and frightening at times.

Answer 4

Drone Mentality

Question 5

• Unwanted assumptions and stereotyping lead to social conditioning. Commercialism and capitalism do not seem to help either as they dominate media with information controlled by profit-based desires. This social conditioning blinds us from the realization that we are making assumptions and stereotyping in the first place. We often think not the way we should, but how capitalists want us to think.
• The ability to think outside of the spectrum is a priceless asset because most student do not realize they are being conditioned to think a certain way. Thus, completely owning one’s thoughts is a special characteristic that not everyone gets to enjoy.
• Teachers can help their learners by presenting objective information and then by subsequently providing different interpretations, which may be used by students as examples to create their own interpretations later on.

Answer 5

Social Conditioning

Question 6

Personal biases can prohibit critical thinking because they prevent the thinker from being fair, inquisitive and open-minded. This kind of thinking can also prevent an individual from using experience, reasoning and common sense to make informed decisions.

Answer 6

Biased Experiences

Question 7

• It is especially important that teachers do their best to create a learning schedule that is not hindered by time constraints. However, since this is not possible for all activities and quizzes due to class scheduling concerns, students should also adhere to set rules and instructions to avoid experiencing any problems.
• Prioritization, nonetheless, is becoming a challenge for many learners belonging to the younger generation due to the advent of the internet, especially with social media and online games readily accessible for everyone. Hence, it is of utmost importance for all learners to clearly identify and understand their goals in life, which should comprise their priority list.

Answer 7

Time Pressure

Question 8

Intolerance and arrogance are never characteristics that will match the descriptions of genuine critical thinkers. Furthermore, finding solutions is almost impossible while having close-mindedness. Without critical thinking skills, people usually react thoughtlessly and recklessly to situations. Nonetheless, what they should do is assess and take responsibility for their decisions and action while also accepting the rewards or consequences that follow those decisions and actions

Answer 8

Intolerance and Arrogance