Do people nowadays lack critical thinking?
Is society really experiencing a critical thinking crisis, or is something else blocking modern inquiry?
I am not sure if this is the absolute best subreddit for this topic, but I am specifically looking for answers from a philosophical perspective.
Lately, I have noticed a widespread narrative that a modern lack of critical thinking is driving society's decline by creating deep divisions across politics, religion, culture, and race.
My current thesis is that this deficit in critical thinking breeds intense cognitive dissonance. Because people lack the tools to objectively evaluate data, they over-identify with their own beliefs. Consequently, when confronted with opposing views, they perceive a challenge to their ideas as a direct attack on their personal identity. This ego-defensiveness prevents individuals from considering opposing arguments, let alone questioning their own assumptions or embracing better ideas. The result is a highly fragmented society trapped in ideological echo chambers.
My question for the community is twofold: Are we truly witnessing a contemporary decline in critical thinking skills? Or are there other modern mechanisms—psychological, technological, or systemic—hindering our collective capacity to pause and ask "why," which sits at the very heart of the philosophical tradition?