Perhaps you've noticed that I haven't written in a while. It's not because there isn't disinformation to write about. It's because there is too much. Where do I begin? I've started this issue about 10 times (+/- 3) yet can't seem to figure out where to start.
Initially I was going to write an article about the importance of critical thinking. I recorded a podcast about this topic that is still in production (you will hear all about it when I get word that it has been released).
Then Joe Biden dropped out of the U.S. presidential race and Kamala Harris jumped full-speed into the fray. Then Republicans had to pivot as a result. Then the presidential debate. Then the vice presidential debate. Then natural disasters. Then I had to wait until my head stopped spinning which it hasn't but I think it's slowed a bit so I can pen this issue.
Maybe?
Let's start with critical thinking since I should go with my first instinct. How do you define critical thinking? Whenever I can't come up with a succinct enough answer in a reasonable time, I turn to ChatGPT. Yes, you read that right. I am a huge proponent of artificial intelligence. I understand the harm it may cause but I also recognize how incredibly helpful it may be.
I asked ChatGPT to define critical thinking for me and this is what I got:
Critical thinking is a disciplined process of analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating information to form a judgment. It involves questioning, examining, and synthesizing information from a variety of sources, including observation, experience, and communication. The goal is to make reliable judgments based on reliable information.
Um, yes. I couldn't have quickly phrased it better myself. Thank you, bot. What did I do when I saw the above definition spit back at me? I read it critically. Yes, this is exactly how I would define critical thinking. Analyze, interpret and evaluate information by questioning, examining and synthesizing information from reliable sources. Readers of this newsletter will know this is what I write about all the time!
Why is critical thinking important?
What I am finding with disinformation and its proliferation is that people are jumping to conclusions and rushing to judgment without thinking about whether something is true or not. Worse, they are then acting on false information in a way that may harm people. Let's unpack this using a few recent examples.
My apologies for beating a dead pet........but let's start in Springfield, Ohio. The rhetoric that Haitian immigrants - and it's very specific to Haitian immigrants - are stealing the pets of their neighbors so they can make kitty creole or puppy paprikash is absurd. That one of our presidential candidates and his running mate are spewing what they've admitted is a lie is abhorrent.
Yet people are believing it.
Why?
Some of it may be the fear of the "other." We don't know much about Haitian immigrants so we believe what those we trust are saying. We also may not understand the diets of those who are different from us so we assume they may like to eat pets. Some of the dishes and smells may be different from what we are used to and rather than thinking critically and finding out, we just accept the absurd.
Why is the lie being disseminated to begin with?
Some of it may be stoking fear of the "other." What do we fear most about immigrants? They are taking our jobs (they are not), they are stealing our homes (they are not), they are going to ruin our way of life and culture by making us become like them (if you want to). Those are just a few of the reasons I've seen and heard.
What is the truth and who should we listen to? In this case, the mayor and other figures in Springfield, Ohio like those who've hired Haitian immigrants have spoken out against the hateful and untruthful rhetoric. The Republican governor himself has spoken out against it - and he is from this area of Ohio!
It doesn't help that some aspects of the story may be true. Has the education system been impacted? Yes. Is housing an issue? Yes. Are they in as dire a situation as has been described? No. That there are some pieces of the narrative that are true may help to stoke the fear and feed the rhetoric. That doesn't mean we should continue down the slippery slope of denigrating our new neighbors who have actually helped the economy in the area and are here legally.
Critical thinking is missed from this discussion.
Let's look at another example (oh, how do I choose?).
Hurricane Helene was geoengineered by the government. This rumor is two-fold. I first heard it in the context that Democrats had created the hurricane to cause destruction ahead of the election. Secondly, I heard that the hurricane was a ruse to allow the government to mine for and seize lithium deposits under Chimney Rock, NC.
Let's think about the first for a moment and I want to do that by asking you what your priorities would be if you were a Democrat working to secure the White House. Would they be to destroy the bluest (Democratic) city, Asheville, in North Carolina? Or would it be to put direct effort into winning the White House? Also, you give government a great deal of credit. Government can't solve many problems that seem straightforward yet you think it can geoengineer an environmental catastrophe?
But is there some truth? Lithium is an element we need to run the technology in which we are dependent. Scientists are experimenting with cloud seeding and other techniques in an effort to modify the weather and to stem climate change. That doesn't mean both are happening here but it is not entirely science fiction.
Secondly, the government has other ways of securing lithium than engineering an environmental disaster. Let's do a cost/benefit analysis. How much would it cost to develop the technology to geoengineer versus what we would gain by doing so when there are other options?
Here again, what is the truth and who should we listen to? The Republican Congressman from the 11th district - the one largely hit by Helene - issued a statement debunking the myths associated with Hurricane Helene. Again, this is a trusted voice - or should be. To read his response, click here.
The Republican governor of Tennessee, Bill Lee, has also come out to dispel the disinformation surrounding Hurricane Helene.
In both examples, media outlets have reported the falsehoods citing reliable sources including those I've referenced here.
Why does it matter? It's just lies. All politicians lie, don't they?
The misinformation continues to spread and is spread by prominent figures like Donald Trump and others. This spreading of disinformation is harmful to all. We are seeing bomb threats in Springfield, Ohio. We are seeing people in hurricane-ravaged areas not seeking help because they don't think they can get it or people not stepping up to help because they don't think it matters. These lies are stoking fear of immigrants and hampering hurricane relief efforts that may cost people their lives.
Returning to my ChatGPT definition of critical thinking (I edited the original from above):
It involves questioning, examining, and synthesizing information from a variety of sources, including observation, experience, and communication. The goal is to make reliable judgments based on reliable information.
When you see something that seems suspect, are you looking at a variety of sources? Several media outlets have spoken out against both examples I've used in this issue. Prominent people in the know have spoken up to clarify and speak the truth. People still believe the lies and untruths.
Critical thinking is sorely lacking. What is the solution? One solution is amped up critical thinking education. Are we doing our best in this area? I have to admit this is a regular topic of conversation among my colleagues in higher education. Before you accuse those of us in higher education of indoctrination, know that in teaching critical thinking we are not teaching students what to think but rather how to think.
In answer to the issue of indoctrination, a common refrain I hear among educators at all levels is that if we were to indoctrinate students it wouldn't be to vote a particular way or to become gay (another common refrain and a complete untruth - people don't "become gay"), it would be to pay attention in class and do your homework. If only we had the power to indoctrinate (I say half in jest).
That solution sounds straightforward but it is not. To teach critical thinking we would also need to improve literacy. Literacy may take many forms like media literacy, political literacy, religious literacy, health literacy, science literacy, to name a few. We can teach you how to think but you also need the knowledge to know when to question something or not. Basic knowledge in a number of areas will help you to understand when you know something or, more importantly, when you do not.
I am a champion of literacy and critical thinking education. This isn't something that is solved overnight. This is a years-long process that can be quite tedious. In the meantime, I will keep writing and speaking and teaching. Little by little chipping away at the disinformation mountain.
I wonder if there is lithium underneath.....
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We are less than a month away from the U.S. Presidential election. We have had several natural disasters that scientists attribute to climate change. In the next weeks, I plan to continue to write and unpack disinformation. I believe my head will stop spinning enough to do so.
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I hope.
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In the meantime, tell me what's on your mind. What worries you? What disinformation have you heard that you'd like me to comment on. I can't guarantee that I will but I will certainly try.
Happy thinking and debunking.
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