Critically low thinking

I am often amused by adults' understanding of social media. When I try to show my mom a funny reel, instead of taking the joke at face value, she often is distracted by questions like, “Who is that?” or “How do you know them?” While this often frustrates me as it defeats the purpose of the joke, it reflects a disconnect between Gen Z and older generations: critical thinking. 

Some might say that I am thinking critically because I am (over-)analyzing the situation to paint Gen Z as brainwashed. But this goes beyond social media. It's a fact: our generation struggles to think critically. This deficit began during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued with the rise of AI. Much of our generation participated in online classes during fundamental learning years. With no classroom accountability, students were more likely to cheat, not participate, or become distracted while learning. Unfortunately, soon after school began to return to normalcy, AI became available to students. The connection between AI and a lack of critical thinking is obvious: access to a detailed answer in a split second decreases the need for working through the problem yourself. One of Mercersburg Academy’s most repeated Conduct Review Committee case types last year was academic dishonesty, of which the majority were AI-related. This doesn’t even include students who weren’t caught.

Additionally, the world our generation lives in is driven by standardized test scores and right answers. The pressure we put on ourselves to maintain a high GPA often is prioritized over taking the time to dedicate ourselves to actual learning. 

But why does this matter? Some would say that trading some critical thinking skills for increased efficiency is fine. However, I believe that Gen Z’s critical thinking disparity goes far beyond the classroom.

We are supposed to think critically, all day, every day. Gen Z’s willingness to follow blindly–whether that be a trend, a political party, or an influencer–stems from accepting everything for what it is on the surface. We are so quick to believe what we see online or hear from our friends that we struggle to form our own opinions. This leads to a herd mentality.

In last month’s edition of NEWS, Cole Piranio wrote an article about the decline of school spirit at Mercersburg. I believe some of this stems from a trend of nonchalance as the energy around Irving-Marshall events, home games, and Step Songs has dwindled. If students stopped following their own values without fearing judgment from the herd, I believe many would choose to participate more.

While there are many issues our generation faces, this is one we can all fight back against. We have a privilege most high school students across the world do not: we attend Mercersburg Academy, an institution dedicated to developing our critical thinking skills. We must acknowledge that critical thinking isn’t just a buzzword or something to be applied as you’re writing an essay for a harsh teacher. It’s a skill invaluable to understanding the world around us: our relationships, our communities, and our values. Without critical thinking, we have no backbone.