In our world today, where we claim to be enjoying the fruits of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, many of us would be better off without it. We are indeed blessed with the ease of access to more information, with the developments and improvements in scientific research coupled with technology that makes it even more convenient for us. However, have we become critical thinkers? Do we really make wise decisions? The privilege to access the plethora of information out there has ironically undermined our capacity to be wise, to be critical and to be knowledgeable.
Optimists may argue that man is more informed compared to the past because we now have access to technology, such as smartphones, tablets and the internet. Indeed, in developed countries like Singapore and the United States, an average person owns at least one functioning smartphone, and households own at least one computer with access to the internet. With that, it is true that man has increased accessibility to information as compared to the past, where one had to go to places such as the library and endure the tedious process of doing research, gathering and synthesizing information from different books. Now, one is able to skip that laborious process, with just a few taps on the smartphone. Also, the quality of education has increased due to this ease of obtaining information. Time is saved by teachers and students and more learning is done, in terms of curriculum planning as well as ensuring that information given to students is correct. Students are also able to be engaged in fruitful discussions, with the hindrance of flipping through dozens of books removed, allowing more learning and application to take place. Therefore, one could argue that technology has cleared the way for us to be individuals that are more informed.
However, this view that technology has made us more informed because of the ease of access to information, is one that is naïve and ignorant. We should inspect the reality of the situation, not just the ideal. It is precise because of the ease to access to information, that a culture of dependency and over-reliance is born. With the increase in ease of access to information, we have missed the joy of learning and understanding. It no longer takes us any effort to clarify information that we are unsure of, the fact that we no longer need to dig out relevant information from books and encyclopedias has made us lazy and uninterested. We no longer delve into information, merely believing what we read on the internet, without any real thought or consideration, hindering our capacity as humans to be critical thinkers. For a classic example, we can look no further than Singapore. International research of students across the globe has concluded that Singapore students, although great scorers in examinations lack the inclination to ask questions. Singapore has one of the world’s highest smartphone infiltration rates, it is no coincidence that our students are not critical thinkers and curious learners, as the natural response to a difficult question would be to “Google it”. Therefore, technology has undermined Man’s capacity to be informed.
Many may also argue that Man should be more informed, because of the improvements in science and research that allowed updating and correcting of information, which will result in a man being exposed to a wider range and more precise information. Indeed, social and physical sciences have evolved over the years, giving researchers the ability to make conclusions that are more accurate. Traditional myths and legends can be corrected through experiments that have more sophisticated equipment than before, improving the quality of information that man has access to. For example, in the study of global warming, many may assume that it is purely due to anthropogenic factors such as industrialization that led to climate change. But with the improvements in scientific technology, Geographers are able to deduce that the Earth is going through a natural phase of warming, and it is because of industrialization that worsened its effects. Therefore, man should be more informed indeed, with access to more accurate information.
However, what is the use of accurate information, if Man do not make use of it wisely? In today’s world, we live with a mindset where we let our feelings rule our decisions. We no longer give consideration to what is true and what is not, a phenomenon known as the “post-truth era”. With the access to more information, the effects of the “post-truth era” is exacerbated. We are baited by information that appeals to our emotions, regardless of its validity and legitimacy. This is evident in Singapore where the government has to set up a state-run website, “Factually”, to clarify falsehoods that have misled Singaporeans. A more classic example would be in Britain, where majority of citizens voted for Britain to be out of the European Union, known as “Brexit”. The ironic thing is however, that most citizens do not have a clue about the European Union, as “What is the European Union?” became among the top searches made on Google. Therefore, in an age where we let our emotions rule our heads, no amount of information can make us informed individuals.
Ignorance is a part of Man’s original state of mind, and it is in our nature that we are not informed. However, ironically, it is the increased convenience to access information, and the amount of information itself, that makes us less able to be informed. According to the professors at the University of Colorado, in the Leeds School of Business, they concluded that the sense of understanding is contagious. In the experiment they conducted, these professors fabricated a theory about a “glowing rock”, to two groups of people. They told the first group that scientists have yet to come to a concrete conclusion of the theory on these “glowing rocks”, and these people showed no understanding of the theory at all. However, they told the second group otherwise, that is theory has been tested and proven by scientists over many years, and their response indicated that they seemingly understood what the theory on these “glowing rocks” was about. Knowledge is built upon the understandings made from observations by many individuals, and by himself, one is not able to create knowledge alone. But with the wide range of information available today, Man is more likely to establish the false sense of understanding. Therefore, more information does not make Man more informed. In fact, it increases the chances for us to be misled.
In a nutshell, it is ideal that more information has made Man wiser, more critical and more knowledgeable, but in reality, things are not so simple. There are many out there who abuse this platform to spread false information, which makes it unreliable, and it is in human nature to be gullible. It is my hope that Man will be able to approach information more critically, and through that, truly enjoy the fruits of being more informed.