SIMPLE STEPS TO
BUILD CRITICAL THINKING
Have you ever found a fake news? How often do you find them? If you have
encountered fake news and it is very often to be found, have you ever asked why
there are so many fake news circulating on social media? The reason why more
fake news is spreading on social media is due to the lack of critical thinking
skills among the netizens. Therefore, building critical thinking is an
important thing to do at this time. Perhaps you have wondered whether forming
critical thinking is such a difficult thing. Or maybe you ever said "I
can't think critically, only highly educated people can do it". But from
now on, don't think like that anymore. Because building critical thinking can
be done with easy steps. Here are easy steps for building critical thinking.
1. Ask More Questions Than Assume.
Making assumptions often leads to misunderstandings. Especially if you
use emotion more than logic. Therefore, try to ask about the information that
you have received. Ask what the information was meant to be. Don't ask about
who spread it but ask about the contents of the information. Ask such questions
as the following (Buluc, Ruxandra. 2018. Critical Thinking in the Fight
against Fake News.); Is the information based on facts? What are the issues
and the conclusions? Do they have solid evidence of this information? Is there
any ambiguity in the information?
What are the reasons? If you have asked such questions, then you
are ready to think critically.
2. Do A Little Research On A Fact.
Not all facts are true. Sometimes facts are manipulated so that they
seem true, for example a photo of an incident that is made up. Therefore, try
to find other information related to a fact. For example it can be place, time,
and chronology. Use the website to check facts such as: https://cekfakta.com/.
3. Read More.
To know fully the news and the truth that is in it. Read through all the
information or news in its entirety. Don't just read half the article and then
quickly assume. Also remember in reading, prioritize focus and logic.
4. Be More Empathetic.
To think critically, try to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Feel
other people's perspectives on information. Don't be easy to judge other
people's perspectives but try to feel theirs. Be humble and willing to respect
other people's opinions.
Written by Andreas Hariyo Pamungkas Songo
Reference
Buluc, R. (2018, July). Critical
Thinking in the Fight against Fake News. Diambil kembali dari ResearchGate:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326573452_Critical_Thinking_in_the_Fight_against_Fake_News
Hertian, N. (2018, August 13). 5 TIPS SEDERHANA
MENGASAH KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS. Retrieved from Xwork: https://xwork.co/
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