It's amazing how information gets simplified. As companies and teachers are fighting for people's (read: consumers') attention, they are doing a big disservice to humanity, and especially to children.
People want the information that has been already processed, interpreted, twisted, summarized, and most importantly - shortened. Children are getting used to the fact that there's a brief video explanation for anything on YouTube. You don't need to read the original work - you just need to believe (and repeat) the summary that someone else did.
Look at this video about skills. Yes, it makes it simple. It makes it clear. And it makes it obvious that people are turning into helpless consumers of similar content. They are not able to work with the source, check in with the source of information, or even identify the source.
In the past weeks, I have been reading research papers and academic works on the methods of teaching. When I got back from reading a research paper to scrolling through my Youtube feed, and then - to scanning popular blog posts on teaching and developing cognitive skills, I was shocked by the difference.
You can easily tell which text was written by a research professor or an experienced professional, and which one — by a copywriter who was hired to produce new content each week. Copywriters are skilled at creating content that entertains and sticks. People appreciate their work because they can read about a complex study in simple language.
The only problem is that people really believe they have understood that complex study after reading a summary about it in simple words. Simple language is supposed to make the matter attractive, ignite someone's interest, or spark curiosity. But people mistake everything they "read" for everything they "learned”. Reading a blog post on quantum mechanics or leadership skills counts as "learning" about quantum mechanics or leadership skills. People mark read material as "done" and wait for the new piece of content to be published for their consumption. They rely on someone else to direct their learning while, in reality, someone is merely personalizing their consumption.
There is no genuine interest here. Genuine interest makes you want to explore and dig deep. You can’t help it.
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