Debbink - Think for Yourself: The Ultimate Guide to Critical Thinking in an Age of Information Overload

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO

CRITICAL THINKING

IN AN AGE OF

INFORMATION OVERLOAD

By Andrea Debbink Art by Aaron Meshon

Contents

Introduction

Have you heard of the Stone Age? The Gilded Age? Or the Jazz Age? Theyre the names of important periods in history. One of the names for the time were living in right this minute is the Information Age. It means information is available wherever we go and whatever we do. Youve probably noticed.

Information is all around. Every day we hear and see messages about whats going on in the world, what to buy, how to dress, what to think, how to feel. These messages come from friends, family, teachers, social media, movies, and music. In short, information is everywhere.

Its easy to experience information overload. Sometimes our minds take in so much information that its difficult to sort through it. So it just piles up instead, and your mind can start to feel like a messy closet.

Whats on Your Mind?

Theres a lot to think about! Whats capturing your attention these days?

What do you do with all this information? How do you sort through and make decisions about it?

Its time to think for yourself!

People think all the time. We make plans, worry, relive memories, make decisions, daydream, and more. Thats not the kind of thinking this book is about.

This book isnt about what to think. (Thats up to you!) Its about how to think for yourself.

THE BiG iDEA

Critical thinking is the process of carefully evaluating ideas and facts to make decisions about what to believe and do.

Thinking is a skilllike learning to skateboard or do algebra. The more we practice it, the better we get.

Wait. I thought being critical is a bad thing.

Not always. The word critical has a few different definitions. In this case, critical means to use careful evaluation or judgment. We can all think critically, and in the Information Age, thinking for yourself is more important than ever.

TIME TO THINK

Some people can live their whole lives without ever learning this important skill. The good news? Its never too late to think critically. And you get a gold star for starting now!

Critical Thinking in Action

Its easier to understand the process with an example. In 1973, the United States government passed a law called the Endangered Species Act. Since then, more than 1,600 animal species have been protected by the law, including the bald eagle, grizzly bear, humpback whale, and many plants and insects.

Deciding which animals should be added to or removed from the list is rarely easy. Often, people disagree about the issue. Ultimately, Congress makes the decision after getting input from experts. Congress recently considered whether the gray wolf should remain on the endangered list.

A hundred years ago, gray wolves were hunted so

intensely that there were hardly any left in the United

States. After the Endangered Species Act was passed, the gray wolf was added to the list of protected animals. (This meant it became illegal to hunt wolves because there were so few left.) Since that time, wolf populations have recovered, and there are now more than 6,000 wolves in the lower 48 states.

Now that the wolf population has grown, some people would like to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list. Others think the wolf should stay on the list. Imagine you are a member of Congress and must decide how to vote. Start by going through the process.

Who wants to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list? Who wants to keep it on the list?

How many wolves live in the United States? Is this a big or small number?

What happens when an animal species is removed from the endangered species list?

Interview people who live near wolves, including farmers, ranchers, and forest rangers.

Interview people who study wolves.

Research the topic using the library, books, or the internet.

Check the facts.

Analyze the data.

Look out for logical fallacies or errors in logic.

Are wolves always dangerous?

How often do wolves kill livestock?

Will removing the wolves from the list really be bad for wolf populations?

Decide whether wolves should stay on the list or be removed.

Chances are, youre not a member of Congress (yet!), and you probably dont have to make a decision like this anytime soon. But, whether you realize it or not, you still use critical thinking every day. Thinking critically isnt always easy. Sometimes its easier to take shortcuts instead of going through the whole process.