“It’s not that deep.”
“I don’t care how it’s spelled as long as I’m understood.”
“Why would anyone learn how to spell properly in this day and age?”
“I could just pop the question into ChatGPT and get my answer in a few seconds.”
These are the kinds of comments I come across while using most social media platforms. Anti-intellectualism is at an all-time high on social media. Anti-intellectualism can refer to a wide range of attitudes towards intellectual thoought— like disdain, skepticism, mistrust, or criticism of intellect and intellectuals. On social media, this can be seen in the shunning of intellectual content, preference for “common sense” over research or facts, the rejection of so-called “woke” ideas, and the over-dependence on AI tools.
Across Canada and other parts of the world, the decline of literacy and critical thinking skills has been identified as one of the leading causes of anti-intellectualism in the social media space — and the consequences of this are bleeding into the real world.
This decline is caused by increased screen time, poverty, wars, and the overconsumption of short-form content readily available online, which shortens the attention span of individuals. Schools that are not equipped with appropriate resources run the risk of producing students with poor literacy skills.
“Thinking” with AI
With the introduction of AI tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, work has become much easier to do — or so people think. Research has shown that the higher the use of AI tools by a person, the lower their critical thinking skills may become. Studies have also shown that those most affected by overreliance on AI are between the ages of 17 and 25 — n, people of university age or just entering the workforce.
Overreliance on AI in this age group could lead to poor performance in school or at work, as people may struggle to solve problems independently. For school-aged students, excessive use of AI could weaken the ability to learn effectively, negatively impact decision-making skills, and make them more vulnerable to misinformation because they lose the habit of questioning the validity of information. Coupled with the decline in literacy skills, overreliance on AI could spell trouble for the future generation. Students may engage with school at a surface level which would restrict in-depth “real” learning. It also promotes academic dishonesty and increases the risk of plagiarism.
Overreliance on AI can impede creativity, lead to skill loss, and in the workplace, create privacy and data security risks, cause technical errors and even result in financial losses.
A loop of systemic failure may arise when students who rely heavily on AI enter the workforce and then normalize this overreliance in their professions. For example, if they studied education and become teachers, their students may also adopt heavy AI use because of how they were taught. The cycle of declining cognitive skills then continues.
Beyond the Classroom — AI and Us
Focus groups and other research have shown that there are other disadvantages of AI use outside of academics and work. These include environmental concerns such as water usage, loss of mineral resources, electronic waste and air pollution. Aside from the environmental damage caused by AI usage, it could also lead to job displacement due to automation, security risks, reduced human interaction, and misinformation spread online. Additionally, as we become more dependent on technology, we risk increasing loneliness and mental health challenges such as depression.
Actions to Take
To ensure that important skills like critical thinking and literacy are not lost, there are practical steps we can take:
- Provide adequate educational resources to schools and teachers.
- Introduce debating, spelling, science, and other academic clubs
- Join discussion groups and networking events; build strong learning habits by conducting your own research before consulting AI.
- Use AI as a tool by cross-referencing its suggestions;
- Reconnect with people and seek their input.
- Keep a journal and practice writing regularly.
- Seek help from qualified professionals to proofread your work.
- Utilize the Writing Centre available at CUE’s Student Success Centre.
- Switch off AI options on your browser when possible and if necessary, delete the apps.
We must make a conscious effort to use and strengthen our literacy and critical thinking skills, or we risk losing the ability to think for ourselves.
