Just a simple question.

All true and I would add that the shear volume of information now easily accessible at the click of a button discourages thorough investigation and analysis. When you had to look something up in a reference book or books it took time, patience and thought. Attributes rarely utilised nowadays. Google and Wikipedia may be your friends but they are may also be your foes unless used intelligently.

The answer to your question is education – lack of.

If we cannot instill basic literacy and numeracy in our young, what hope is there of teaching them to think ? Most teachers in State education and some in private would fall far short in this department.

The broad mass of the population now believe anything put to them that is attributable in their mind to a reliable source. Hence the popularity of Wikipedia as an example.

I have one acquaintance in particular who delights in sending out emails, usually involving political or racial issues.
It only takes a few clicks on the Internet to find that these stories have been circulating for years. With various
incarnations in Australia and the US.

“Snopes” is your friend.

“It’s on the interweb, it must be true” all anyone bothers with today?

LOL and lack of cross checking on a more relevant website !
Although I have not commented on it personally – on prune the recent Germanwings crash – surprise surprise brought the usual ‘Habsheim’ BS – really ? after so many years some people still believe the conspiracy theories !
Also on prune last year we had the Anti Wright Brother spammers – the lord only knows how many websites/forums they spammed – at least 10 worldwide !

Is nobody teaching people to critically examine anything?
Moggy

Obviously not. Regardless of nationality, political leanings or education..there are a lot of non-critical thinkers out there.