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May 2, 2024 33 mins

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Unlock the full potential of your mind and the minds of the teenagers in your life with the art of critical thinking, a skill that transcends textbooks and test scores. I'm Francesca Hudson, and this week on Challenge your Mind Change the World, we delve into real-life scenarios to showcase how a sharpened analytical edge can protect, empower, and transform. From Lucy's quick thinking that dodged an online scam to Mark's compelling arguments in a class debate, we unravel the threads of critical thinking that weave through the fabric of our daily decisions and interactions. By fostering an environment of curiosity and open-mindedness, we can better navigate the complexities of modern life and cultivate a generation of well-informed, responsible citizens.

As we navigate the bustling intersection of media, relationships, and consumerism, the beacon of critical thinking guides us toward clarity and away from the fog of misinformation. We'll explore why it's essential to peer behind the curtain of celebrity endorsements and flashy advertising, questioning the true value of products like the latest smartphones. Communication breakdowns, like the text message tangle between Alex and Jordan, serve as a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of assumptions and the power of perspective. Join me as we champion the transformative effect of blending healthy skepticism with an open mind—keys to unlocking deeper understanding, respect, and productivity in all walks of life.

**Brand New Course for Students on How To Write a Basic Literary Essay**
If your child is struggling in class with understanding how to write a literary essay - for their exams or other assignments where they can't use any other technology except for their good ol' brain, I have just launched my brand new digital course, The Essay Clinic. I'm offering super special launch pricing (but hurry as it won't be priced this good for long!) Come and take advantage of my 20+ years of teaching and education and give your child the extra boost they might need with their essay writing. I've got you with a full 3 module digital course! See you over at The Essay Clinic! (Oh, and it's open all hours too, as I know how busy every family's lives are these days!!) 
- Francesca

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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, hello, all my wonderful listeners out there,
welcome back to another episodeof Challenge your Mind Change
the World.
We are running a specialfive-part episode series on AI
and how it can potentiallyimpact our wonderful teenagers'
learning abilities, how it canaffect their academic success,

(00:23):
how it can affect their mentalwell-being and how it can affect
their life beyond the classroom.
So we are diving deep into howAI and critical thinking because
, remember, critical thinking isthe backbone of everything that
we do here at the ClassicLiterature Teacher and we are
looking at how both AI andcritical thinking in this series

(00:44):
are transforming students'lives.
I'm your host, francesca Hudson, and I'm thrilled to have you
join us for another enlighteningdiscussion.
So let's have a quick look atwhat we've already discussed.
In the first three episodes, westarted with looking at what
critical thinking was in theAI-driven world in our new
digital age, what criticalthinking was in the AI-driven

(01:05):
world in our new digital age,and then we looked at how, in
episode two, how we can help ourteens balance AI, software and
technologies in education.
And in the last episode it wasa big one we looked at how do we
raise questioners, how do weraise our teenagers to question
and to look at things criticallyin AI contexts, so it's about

(01:26):
guiding them through the AI maze.
While we have seen how AI can bea powerful tool in education,
today we're shifting gearsslightly.
We'll explore how the criticalthinking skills honed in the
classroom are not just academicexercises, but they're actually
essential tools for navigatingthe complexities of everyday

(01:48):
life and about developingkindness in our teenagers and
our young people.
Today, we're going to belooking at how they can be
making informed decisionsthrough to interacting socially
and understanding the mediaaround us.
Remember, critical thinking isa skill that transcends school
boundaries and it enters everypart of our daily existence.

(02:10):
We do it without even thinkingmost of the time, and you can
imagine if we get it wrong.
Our children are learning allthe time and they are learning
from us.
We model our behavior on them.
So critical thinking is a superimportant skill, especially in
this digital age.
In today's episode, we'll gobeyond the classroom to see how
critical thinking applies toreal world scenarios, and that's

(02:33):
what our teens love, isn't it?
It's always about making thingsrelevant and how does it
actually apply to them in realworld settings.
So we'll share stories andinsights on how to use these
skills, these critical thinkingskills in daily decision making,
in social interactions and evenin critically evaluating the
media we consume every day is ahot topic, that one.

(02:55):
Our goal is to show you thatthese skills are not just for
academic success, but they arevital in becoming a
well-informed and engagedcitizen.
Isn't that what we want for ourchildren?
Absolutely.
So let's jump in, and I want tostart with an engagement
question.
So I want you to think about arecent decision you made or a

(03:16):
news article that you've readrecently.
Did you stop to ask questionsabout the reliability of the
information or consider multipleperspectives?
Maybe Keep that in mind as youdive into today's discussions.
My friends, have a think.
Let's begin by defining what wemean by critical thinking.

(03:36):
Simply put, it's the ability toanalyze facts to form a
judgment.
It's not just about beingcritical in a negative sense.
It's not about criticizingsomebody at all.
It's about being curious, it'sabout questioning and it's about
being analytical.
So when we talk about teachingour children and our young
people critical thinking skills,it's not about teaching them

(03:59):
how to be critical of people.
It's about getting them to, orit's about teaching them to,
look at the world through afresh perspective.
It's about opening their mindreally to foster open-mindedness
.
The word critical is not anegative word at all in this
context.

(04:20):
There's a few key components tocritical thinking and we've
touched on this in episode oneright back at the start.
But just to recap, we've gotanalysis, evaluation and
inference to give a fullerpicture of what critical
thinking entails.
In other words, criticalthinking involves several

(04:40):
components Firstly, analyzinginformation to understand its
true nature.
Secondly, it's evaluating theinformation to see how valid or
how useful it is.
And then, finally, it's aboutdrawing conclusions and making
informed judgments based on thatevaluation.
So there's three parts to it.
Really, we use it in everydaydecision making, whether we know
it or not, subconsciously orconsciously.

(05:03):
Consider a simple everydaydecision like buying a
smartphone.
A critical thinker doesn't justgo for the most popular brand
or the latest model.
Instead, they might analyzedifferent models based on
features or price or userreviews, and even the
manufacturer's reputation,before making an informed
decision.
And how many people out theredo we know are you nodding right

(05:26):
now?
We know somebody that is likethis in our household.
That will sit there on thelaptop and they will study every
single model.
They will weigh up the pros andcons of each.
They'll look at all differentaspects of what it is they want
to buy.
They'll read the reviews.
They will look at the price.
They'll see where they can getit cheaper or where it's got it

(05:46):
more expensive, or what thedelivery times are.
You name it.
We have all got people on ourlives In fact, we might even be
people like that that we know ofthat are looking at products
that we buy with a criticalthinking hat on, and we don't
even know it.
So that is critical thinking.
Now think about socialinteractions.
In social interactions,critical thinking can help you

(06:09):
understand the perspectives ofothers better.
For instance, when a friendexpresses an opinion that
differs from yours, for example,instead of dismissing it, you
might critically evaluate theirpoints, you might ask insightful
questions and you mightconsider why they might think
that way.
This not only broadens yourperspective, but it also

(06:31):
strengthens your relationships.
And when was the last time youdid that?
If you were talking to somebody,you were talking to a friend.
They had an opinion.
Did you jump right in and didyou say, no, I disagree.
Or did you get what they weresaying?
And sort of?
You know, maybe nod your head alittle bit and ask a few more
questions, to probe a little bitmore deeper, to see where
they're coming from and wherethey're getting their

(06:53):
information from, because it'sthe consideration of other
people's opinions which is thestarting point of critical
thinking, rather than justshutting somebody down and
dismissing what they're sayingand not even willing to
understand a little better thepoint of which they're coming
from.
It's so easy just to dismiss itand to shut them down

(07:14):
immediately.
But to be able to understandwhy they have come to their
opinion and why they haveembraced it as their own, that's
the part which is fascinatingand that is the part, as a
friend, you want to honour andacknowledge that they have an
opinion.
So I think with criticalthinking, it's the ability to be
able to ask more questions.

(07:36):
If there's something that youmight not necessarily agree with
, ask more questions.
That's where it starts from.
In last episode, we talkedabout how to raise our teens to
become questioners in life, andthis is a great place, as adults
, that we can start with our ownfriendships and our own
relationships.
The third place that we usecritical thinking without even

(07:59):
realizing is in our mediaconsumption.
Okay, when it comes to mediaconsumption, whether it's news
or blogs or social media posts.
Critical thinking is crucial.
It enables you to distinguishbetween facts and opinions, it
allows you to identify bias andit also assesses the credibility

(08:19):
of sources.
So, for example, when you comeacross a sensational news
headline, critical thinkingmight kick in and it might
prompt you to check othersources before accepting the
story is true.
Or you might look at othersources of information.
If you're on social media, forexample Facebook or Instagram,

(08:40):
the algorithm is going to bebringing up more articles of the
same type of content, so acritical thinker will look at
that and go.
Maybe I need to go to anothersource of information, not just
on social media.
Maybe I need to go and look atother types of newspaper
websites or the radio orwhatever it is, so that you can

(09:01):
see if you can begin to get afuller picture of this opinion
rather than always just beingslanted in one particular way.
It is really hard in this dayand age to be able to have a
non-biased news story becauseobviously the media empires
always have their own sort ofagendas, if you like, behind the

(09:22):
news that they are producing.
Whether it's a financial agendaor a political agenda, or a
social agenda there's all sortsof agendas, obviously that
publications can have.
So we just have to be mindfulof that and we have to be
conscious of that.
Whether or not we agree withwhat they produce, it's up to

(09:43):
you, depending on where yourperspective is on things.
But always have that in theback of your mind that there is
always more than one opinion,and sometimes the information
that you surround yourselfalways look for the bias, or
could there be a potential bias.
As we see, critical thinking isnot just an academic exercise.
It's a valuable life skill thatplays a vital role in how we

(10:06):
make decisions, how we interactwith others and how we consume
information, and it empowers usto navigate the world more
effectively, making us moreinformed citizens and thoughtful
individuals.
So you can see that we areusing critical thinking without
even realizing it.
Most of the time it can be avery subconscious skill, but our

(10:27):
teens are still growing andthey are still developing these
skills, and so it's reallyimportant that we really embrace
critical thinking and we showthem, we model it in front of
them.
If we can see something that weare doing using a critical
thinking skill, then we canshout it out.
We can call it out and say toour teens hey look, do you see
how I did that?
We were at the supermarket andwe were looking at different

(10:48):
types of pasta and we wereweighing up which one was on
special and which one was thebetter tasting and which had the
highest salt content.
That's critical thinking.
That's evaluating the productsin front of us and making an
informed decision.
Every day we're faced withnumerous decisions, from what to
buy to whom to trust, and thesechoices might seem minor, but

(11:09):
the way we make these decisionscan have big impacts on our
lives.
Let me give you a littlescenario for this Choosing a
mobile phone.
So imagine you're in the marketfor a new mobile phone.
You see an ad for the latestsmartphone model in a flashy
commercial somewhere, with yourfavorite celebrity endorsing it.
It's tempting to go straight tothe store to buy it right, and

(11:29):
a few of us probably would.
But let's apply some criticalthinking here.
So firstly, ask yourself why isthis celebrity endorsing this
phone?
Are they really using itthemselves?
What might they be getting paidfor this endorsement?
Adverts are designed to sell bycreating appeal, but not

(11:50):
necessarily to inform.
And my children, especially atthe moment, are going through
this with seeing celebritiesendorsing products and then
immediately wanting them andthis is the part that we are
going through as parents at themoment is trying to allow our
children to pause and to look atthe products and to look at the

(12:10):
celebrity that's endorsing them, and to sort of look at more of
the motivations behind what'sgoing on with the adverts.
So you've asked yourself thesequestions about why is a
celebrity endorsing this phone?
And then look beyond theadverts to user reviews and
performance metrics, for example.
So maybe sort of think, okay,well, it's all great, they've
got this beautiful showy advert,they've spent a lot of money on

(12:32):
publicity and they've got thisamazing celebrity promoting it.
But what's the reviews behind itand how well is this product
performing?
So, instead of taking the ad atface value, look up reviews
from actual users who havepurchased the phone.
What are they saying about itsperformance, its battery life,

(12:53):
camera quality, their commoncomplaints?
And we all do this, or most ofus are doing this anyway, but
this is a good way to call itout to our teens and young
people and to teach them abouthow to use critical thinking.
So then, once you've looked atthe reviews, then check out the
professional reviews from techwebsites or comparison videos on
YouTube.
These sources often providemore detailed and objective
evaluations of the phone'scapabilities compared to its

(13:15):
competitors.
And then, once you've done thatso it doesn't just stop there,
but then you can look atquestioning the sources of the
reviews.
In our scenario, questioning thesource means understanding that
advertisements are biasedtowards positive aspects.
Reviews and professionalanalysis offer a more rounded

(13:37):
perspective.
And then look for the evidence.
In the reviews, both user andprofessional.
Do they provide actual data onperformance, like benchmark
tests or camera samples?
So this evidence can help makeyou a more informed decision.
I feel like I've just taught alesson in class here with how to

(13:57):
evaluate a mobile phone.
But you can see how, ratherthan rushing straight out to the
shop to buy a mobile phone, bylooking at the product and
asking these questions with ouryoung people.
It's allowing them to stop andrealize that there might be some

(14:21):
sort of almost bias towardstrying to get them to buy the
product because of all the fancycelebrity endorsements and the
really cool music or graphicsthe adverts used.
And it's about getting them tolook beyond that.
So questioning the ad,researching the reviews,
comparing the sources,questioning the sources and
looking for the evidence.
Therefore, by applying criticalthinking, you're moving beyond

(14:42):
the superficial factors andyou're making decisions based on
thorough analysis and realevidence.
And this approach doesn't justapply to buying phones,
obviously.
It's a way to navigate allsorts of choices more
effectively.
Looking at critical thinking andsocial interactions, they are
often more complex than theyappear, and we talked about this
in the intro, about having afriend that might have an

(15:03):
opinion that you automaticallyjust want to shut down.
But whether we're discussingopinions, resolving conflicts or
simply chatting with ourfriends, critical thinking can
significantly enhance ourunderstanding and our
communication.
We can be better communicators,we can be better friends, we
can be better partners.
It helps us to navigate thesubtleties of human
relationships by encouraging usto consider multiple

(15:26):
perspectives and question ourassumptions.
So when we engage with others,especially in discussions or
debates, it's easy to becomeentrenched in our own views
right, but critical thinkingpushes us to step back and
consider the other person'sperspective, not just change our
mind necessarily, especially ifwe're very entrenched in our

(15:46):
own beliefs, but it's tounderstand where they're coming
from.
We don't need to feelthreatened, we don't need to
feel like if we consider theiropinions and suddenly our own
will become shaky.
It's about understanding wherethey're coming from, and this
understanding can lead to morerespectful and productive
interactions.

(16:08):
So let me give you a littlescenario.
Imagine two friends, alex andJordan.
Jordan sends Alex a text sayingwe need to talk.
So Alex reads the message lateat night and then spends a
sleepless night worrying aboutthe serious tone.
And I would be the same.
So this is where texts can bemisconstrued and read in so many

(16:30):
different ways and, funnilyenough, my husband and I nearly
didn't go out on our very firstdate because of a text message
that went back and forth and Itook it one way and he took it
the other.
I thought we were going out fordinner, just the two of us, and
he mistook my reply to say, oh,it must be a group of us going

(16:51):
out.
And so he then went off withhis friends.
And anyway, it's a very longstory, I won't bore you with it,
but it's an example of howtexts can be taken in so many
different ways, and I guaranteeyou will have your own funny
stories of how text messageshave been totally misconstrued.
So anyway, back to the textmessage between Alex and Jordan.

(17:12):
So Jordan sends Alex a textsaying we need to talk.
Alex has a really sleeplessnight.
Now Alex's perspective is hemight assume that quote we need
to talk implies somethingnegative or serious, possibly,
about their friendship, based onthe vague yet ominous nature of
the text.
But Jordan's intent, soJordan's the one that sent the

(17:35):
text.
Jordan's intent was simply todiscuss plans for the upcoming
weekend, not realizing how themessage came across.
So Jordan, I think, needs toput a little emoji or something
in his text next time.
But anyway, when they finallygot talking the next day, they
discussed how the message couldhave been phrased better and

(17:58):
agree on more clear and directcommunication in the future,
especially when texting aboutwhat matters.
So in this case, it all endedwell.
Sleman texting about whatmatters.
So in this case it all endedwell.
Nothing serious happened.
There was nothing serious aboutthe text, but the tone of the
text opened up doubt in poor oldAlex's mind.
So the lessons that we'velearned from the text story?

(18:20):
It illustrates how criticalthinking can prevent small
misunderstandings fromescalating into significant
conflicts.
Why?
Because by questioning theirinitial assumptions and
communicating openly, alex andJordan not only resolved the
misunderstanding, but they alsostrengthened their friendship
through better communicationpractices.
They talked about it, theydidn't just bury it under the

(18:42):
carpet and ignore it, and thenboth went off on their separate
ways, and then Alex let it buildup and build up and build up.
They talked about it.
So communication that's howcritical thinking can help in
social interactions.
Communication is a great way.
As we can see from Alex andJordan's experience, critical
thinking and social interactionshelps us navigate
misunderstandings and deepen ourrelationships, and it

(19:05):
encourages us to remain open andinquisitive about others'
thoughts and feelings, and that,in turn, leads to more
meaningful and comfort-freeinteractions.
How do we do that, then, withthe media?
How do we look at the mediawith a critical eye?
Well, in today's digital age,we are constantly bombarded with
information, right From socialmedia, from news outlets, from

(19:27):
other online platforms, andthese sources have a profound
impact on shaping our opinionsand our beliefs Huge, huge, huge
, huge impact.
However, not all information iscreated equal, as we know, and
this is where critical thinkingbecomes crucial.
I'm going to teach you how todo it, how to use your critical

(19:48):
thinking skills with the media.
So media, both social andtraditional, often serve not
just to inform, but to persuadeand to influence.
Whether it's through theheadlines we read or the posts
we scroll past on our feeds.
The media can shape ourunderstanding of the world.

(20:09):
Recognizing this influence isthe first step in thinking
critically about the content wemight consume.
So to identify bias in themedia, look at the language used
in the article or the post.
Is it emotive meaning?
Does it create emotion in you?
Does it favour one sidedisproportionately?
Also, consider the source whoowns the media outlet and what

(20:32):
might be their political orcommercial interests?
Understanding these elementscan help you gauge the
objectivity of the informationpresented right.
And then you also need toevaluate the source.
So assessing the credibilityinvolves checking the reputation
of the source.
Are they known for rigorousjournalism or are they known for

(20:57):
sensationalism?
Do they cite their sources andcan those sources be verified?
Reliable media organizationsuphold standards of accuracy and
accountability, so these canoften be safer bets for credible
information.
They're not the light-heartedsocial media feeds, but you know
that you're getting a morebalanced perspective when you

(21:18):
read these sources.
So to give you an example inreal life, imagine a teenager
named Sam who sees a viral storyon social media claiming that a
celebrity has made anoutrageous statement.
This story is everywhere andit's stirring up a lot of
reactions.
How do you think Sam would usecritical thinking in this

(21:40):
scenario.
This is how they do it.
Instead of accepting the storyat face value or sharing it
immediately, sam starts bychecking multiple reliable news
sites to see if any of them havereported on it.
Finding no such reports, samvisits the celebrity's official
social media pages and discoversa post clarifying that the

(22:00):
statement was taken out ofcontext and misreported.
Okay, that is key.
Sam has gone beyond theheadline to actually see if it's
true or not.
By taking the time to researchand question the initial story,
sam avoids spreadingmisinformation and learns an
important lesson about thespread of false news.

(22:21):
This critical approach does notonly keep Sam informed, but
also prevents the spread offalse information amongst their
peers, and I am so keen on thisat home with our two boys.
We've got two boys and it'svery easy for them just to take
a piece of news and accept it asfact.

(22:41):
And I'm always saying to themwhere did you get this
information from?
How do you know?
It's true, just asking thosequestions, digging a little bit
deeper, because there's nothingworse than Chinese whispers
picking up one piece ofinformation and just passing it
on without even thinking.
And it's not even true.
We have to be so careful ofthat.

(23:02):
This shows how vital it is toapproach media with a critical
eye.
By learning to identify bias,assessing source credibility and
verifying information, we canempower ourselves and our young
people to make informeddecisions and not be swayed by
misinformation.
While it's valuable tounderstand theories and

(23:23):
techniques of critical thinking,seeing these skills in action
can be even more enlightening,like we've seen with the text
message chat between Alex andJordan and the fake news from
Sam.
So let's look really quickly ata few more examples of how
critical thinking has been usedand have saved people from a lot
of hassle in the real world.
We've got the consumer whoavoided a scam, lucy.

(23:44):
Imagine a scenario where Lucy,who is a regular online shopper,
receives an incredibly temptingoffer via email from a brand
new online store.
The offer promises high qualityproducts at a fraction of the
usual price Wow, awesome.
But instead of immediatelyclicking the purchase button,

(24:04):
what do you think Lucy did?
She decides to research thecompany.
She looks for customer reviews,she checks the company's
content information and hersearch reveals several red flags
.
The website has no physicaladdress, for example, and she
finds multiple complaints aboutnon-delivery of products on

(24:24):
various consumer forums.
So what do you think theoutcome is?
Well, thanks to her diligenceand critical thinking, lucy
avoids falling for a scam andshe's saving not only her money
but also her personalinformation.
Another example is the studentwho challenged a popular opinion
information.
Another example is the studentwho challenged a popular opinion

(24:45):
.
Consider Mark, a high schoolstudent.
In a debate class, the topic ofdiscussion is a popular yet
very controversial environmentalpolicy.
Most of his classmates supportthe policy, echoing popular
sentiments that they've heard inthe media.
Mark decides to delve deeperinto the topic, spending hours
researching academic articles,data from environmental

(25:06):
organizations and governmentreports.
Wow, this student is thorough.
His research uncovers thatwhile the policy is popular no
doubt about that its actualenvironmental benefits are
questionable and the economicdrawbacks are significant.
So during the debate, markpresents his well-researched

(25:28):
findings, challenging thepopular opinion with facts and
data.
He cites his sources, explainsthe methodology behind the data
and then respectfully addressesthe counter-arguments.
Mark's thorough research andrespectful presentation prompt
his classmates to reconsidertheir positions.
They can see how much evidenceMark has found, and this not

(25:52):
only enriches the classdiscussion, because they haven't
all blindly just agreed witheach other because that's what
the media has been saying, butit also demonstrates the
importance of researching andquestioning before forming
opinions.
So these stories from Lucy andMark show how critical thinking
can be a powerful tool in ourpersonal and academic lives.

(26:12):
By questioning, researching andevaluating information
critically, they were able tomake informed decisions and
influence others positively.
Their experiences underline thepractical impact of critical
thinking in everyday situations.
So I want to finally end on onefinal note, and that is the
importance of skepticism andopen-mindedness, a topic very

(26:36):
close to my heart.
As we cultivate our criticalthinking skills, two key
attitudes we must develop areskepticism and open-mindedness.
While these might seemcontradictory at first glance,
they actually complement eachother really well in helping us

(26:56):
think critically and makewell-informed decisions.
How do they do that?
Well, let's look at skepticismto start with.
Skepticism is oftenmisunderstood.
It isn't about doubtingeverything or being cynical.
Rather, it's about beingthorough in our evaluation of
information.
A skeptic asks questions, theyseek evidence, and is not easily

(27:21):
satisfied by superficialexplanations.
This doesn't mean rejectinginformation outright, but rather
suspending judgment untilsufficient proof is presented.
Now looking at the role ofopen-mindedness, on the other
hand, is the willingness toconsider new ideas and
perspectives, even those thatchallenge our existing beliefs.

(27:43):
It involves being receptive todifferent viewpoints and not
letting our bias cloud ourjudgment.
This doesn't imply that weaccept every new idea
uncritically, but rather we givethem a fair hearing.
So can you see how these twoconcepts, skepticism and
open-mindedness, begin to cometogether.

(28:05):
Balancing skepticism andopen-mindedness is key to
effective critical thinking.
Too much skepticism can turninto cynicism, which shuts down
productive discussion.
On the flip side, too muchopenness without skepticism can
lead to gullibility.
Too much openness withoutskepticism can lead to

(28:25):
gullibility.
The goal is to be open toconsider new ideas, but
skeptical enough to demand goodreasons before accepting them.
In practice, this might looklike listening attentively to
someone's argument while alsoasking thoughtful questions to
probe deeper.
Coming back to our friendshipchat we had at the start of the
podcast, even though you mightfeel that your friend has
informed ideas or opinions basedon very shallow information,

(28:48):
it's about listening to themwhile also asking thoughtful
questions.
Or when reading the news.
It might mean being open to theperspectives presented, but
also cross-checking facts withother reliable sources.
Is presented, but alsocross-checking facts with other
reliable sources.
By embracing both scepticismand open-mindedness, it enriches
our understanding and itenhances our ability to engage

(29:11):
constructively in debates anddiscussions.
These qualities ensure that ourjudgments are well-founded and
that we remain intellectuallyflexible, able to adapt our
views when presented withcompelling evidence.
Today, we've explored howcritical thinking extends far
beyond the classroom walls,influencing decisions in our

(29:31):
everyday lives, shaping oursocial interactions and guiding
us through the complex medialandscape.
We discussed how beingskeptical helps us avoid scams
and make informed decisions, andhow open-mindedness allows us
to understand and respectdifferent viewpoints.
These stories and discussionshighlight that critical thinking

(29:53):
is an essential skill fornavigating the modern world and
one that we can really model toour young people.
I encourage each of you to takea challenge this week.
Apply critical thinking in thenew area of your life.
Perhaps question a long-heldbelief, analyze a decision at
your job or school, orcritically assess a news article
before sharing it.
See how these skills can changethe outcome and deepen your own

(30:17):
understanding.
Thank you all for tuning intoday.
I hope you're finding thesediscussions enlightening and
applicable in your daily livesand also helping with your young
people and teenagers.
I'd love to hear about yourexperiences with the challenge
or any thoughts on today'sepisode.
So please reach out through oursocial media channels or you

(30:37):
can email us directly.
And also a reminder don'tforget to subscribe for more
insights and join us next timeas we continue to explore the
powerful combination of criticalthinking and AI.
Until then, keep thinkingcritically and questioning
deeply.
Have a great week everyone.
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