Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Critical Thinking Blog #4
Jacoby's book points out some very significant aspects of American culture that contribute to the anti-intellectual crisis. In the book she criticizes American tendency to think "junk thought". She describes 2 of the most prominent forms of mass media that contribute to junk thought as television and the internet. Americans get easily distracted by the media from other intellectual pursuits like reading and conversation. I have personally witnessed families who don't sit together and eat dinner, instead they sit around the living room and watch tv while they eat. Dinner time is an important time for families to converse and bond. The television takes away from that time. I have also noticed that the internet is a very popular form of communication between teenagers. When typing, it is easy to take the short way out and use improper english and grammar. Unfortunately this can greatly contribute to anti-intellectualism. We lose devotion to proper english and grammar. These forms of media significantly influence anti-intellectualism and take away from intellectual pursuits.
Pre-Reading Blog #4
What is “junk thought”? Is it thinking that is worthless? What is that, exactly? What examples can you find in your experience? In your opinion, how does it influence people? Please end your blog with at least one good critical question.
Junk means worthless, meaningless, or contemptible. So yes, one could argue that "junk thought" is thinking that is worthless. I think that junk thought is just the opposite of critical thinking. Americans have conformed to this lazy way in life and lost devotion to critical thinking and reason. The media significantly contributes to the vast "junk thinking" population. Americans are held to believe that there is a certain standard that everyone wants to be at. The so called "healthy" American is nothing more than a starved, overworking, or in dept person. We are influenced by this junk thought everyday through movies, magazines, television, everywhere we look. This kind of thinking will get us nowhere, we have lost the depiction of a true healthy life. We have lost reason.
Critical Question: What sort of "junk thought" has Susan Jacoby conformed to throughout her life?
Junk means worthless, meaningless, or contemptible. So yes, one could argue that "junk thought" is thinking that is worthless. I think that junk thought is just the opposite of critical thinking. Americans have conformed to this lazy way in life and lost devotion to critical thinking and reason. The media significantly contributes to the vast "junk thinking" population. Americans are held to believe that there is a certain standard that everyone wants to be at. The so called "healthy" American is nothing more than a starved, overworking, or in dept person. We are influenced by this junk thought everyday through movies, magazines, television, everywhere we look. This kind of thinking will get us nowhere, we have lost the depiction of a true healthy life. We have lost reason.
Critical Question: What sort of "junk thought" has Susan Jacoby conformed to throughout her life?
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