Critical thinking is a necessary skill that is sorely lacking within society and especially on social media. Amidst stress and work, there’s nothing more enticing than mindlessly scrolling and forgetting the burden of responsibilities. But there’s more to life than what can be seen in a short video or a discussion thread. It feels incredibly rewarding to figure out a hidden message on your own, and to not be easily fooled by what others say.

Social media hinders critical thinking due to the echo chambers it creates and how simple it is to scroll without analyzing the content. Echo chambers simply mean the computer gives people more of what they already read, so perspectives become biased and no one thinks to consider the other side of any issue.

According to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study, misinformation spreads 70% faster than the truth. People are more drawn to drama and the latest hate bandwagon rather than dissecting the situation and getting to the truth of the matter. 

Life is more complex than it’s made out to be, and multiple perspectives should be considered before reaching a conclusion. Instead of blindly repeating what other people say, we should consider if it’s what we really believe, or what we were swayed into believing while having no other information to refute it.

Social media is immersive and easy to sink hours into, but it’s not productive nor challenging. It’s better to replace that time spent scrolling with something that’s more beneficial, but since it’s become increasingly difficult to avoid social media, it may as well be used to practice critical thinking. 

We all need to question information and verify it with reliable sources, form our own opinion before listening to others’, and use our own logic and intuition. Critical thinking is a skill, and it shouldn’t die in place of mindless entertainment.