The Death of Creativity And Critical Thinking

Why are we losing the most remarkable feats of humanity? Are there fewer critical thinkers, or has social media provided a mic to the more "opinionated"? As technology and capitalism continue to advance, society is losing not only creativity but also critical thinking.

I chose to focus on the decline of both creativity and critical thinking because they are two complementary aspects of the human brain. The left hemisphere of the brain is primarily responsible for processing more analytical tasks, including language, logic, and mathematics. All things that require a certain level of critical thinking. The right hemisphere of the brain processes the holistic functions such as spatial awareness, art, and emotions. All things that require a certain amount of creativity. I find two factors that significantly contributed to this steady decline in creativity and critical thinking: capitalism & technology.

We are the most distracted generation ever to grace this Earth. Most people are focused on surviving this capitalistic nightmare rather than taking the time to think clearly, deeply, and productively. The majority of the population uses most of their brain power thinking in survival mode. This is a result of capitalism prioritizing the ability to think quickly and multitask over critical thinking. Society has been warped to treat art as another skill to be exploited rather than a form of expression that belongs to everyone. Creativity thrives in environments of rest, boredom, and downtime, but capitalism leaves little to no room for that.

The advancement of technology has provided everyone a voice, whether they are right or wrong. Social media has given everyone a voice, and it values the loudest opinion over facts. Over-reliance on A.I. has made it harder to discern the deeper analysis of the things people read and hear daily, contributing to the decline in critical thinking. Social media demands constant attention and production, which can lead to burnout and ultimately paranoia over what to post. Creativity is expression, it is freedom, and a fast-paced environment that new technology has created doesn't always allow for that to be a reality.

Creativity and critical thinking have suffered as technology and capitalism have thrived. Despite the facts, these skills will always be an essential part of what it means to be human. Be part of the solution, not the problem. Slow down your decision-making, cultivate curiosity and a lifelong learning mindset, reflect, read, draw, write, and utilize both sides of your brain to live your best life.