We often hear the term "critical thinking" used in relation to media and Web literacy. The following excerpt, from Think TV: A Guide to Managing TV in the Home, is based on the work of Dr. Stephen Brookfield and offers a critical thinking approach to television that can be applied to all media.
1. Critical thinking is a productive and positive activity
Many people think that the purpose of thinking critically about television is to find all the faults and eliminate them. Television can pose problems for people, especially for parents. It can be intrusive, inappropriate and time wasting. However, television also provides enjoyment and information that can enhance lives. Thinking critically about television, or any other aspect of life, can increase our understanding of it - so that something positive can be done or learned.
2. Critical thinking is a process, not an outcome
Critical thinking is about how to think, not what to think. It is an ongoing process that usually begins with questions. The process doesn't end, but often leads to a new question. The critical thinking process arises from a critical attitude or stance. That attitude has been described as "critical-mindedness." It includes curiosity, open-mindedness, scepticism, and persistence. Once developed, critical-mindedness and the critical thinking process can be applied to any text or medium, and to all aspects of life. For example, people who develop a newscast will continue to apply these skills to the national newscast, the daily newspaper, magazines, and events in the community.
3. Critical thinking can be triggered by positive events as well as negative ones
Critical thinking usually starts with something unsettling that "gets people thinking" and causes them to question what they thought they already knew. It is common for parents of young children to start thinking critically and negatively about television after they see the violence of cartoons. A positive trigger can happen when parents encourage children to watch an educational program, and they discover that it wasn't "boring" after all. Children may start to think differently about what is watched at other times. Parents may start to rethink the assumptions they make about television programs, how their children interpret them, and how they can deal with them.
4. Critical thinking involves feelings as well as reasons
Some people think that critical thinking has no room for emotion. They think that being rational and logical is most important, and that emotions get in the way. This is a mistake. It is natural for people to experience anxiety and fear when they start questioning or challenging their own and others' beliefs. For example, people may be disappointed to see a program about the special effects used to make something look real, and may resist believing the information. However, that feeling of disappointment could trigger an important critical thinking episode, which could lead to an understanding of the difference between reality and fantasy in television. The feeling of disappointment must be acknowledged before it can lead to new learning.
Other emotions people may experience in critical thinking processes are excitement at seeing things in new ways, and increased confidence at feeling more in control of their lives. However, some people may resist thinking critically about ideas they have held for a long time. When people start to doubt ideas or opinions that previously made them feel secure, they can become very uncomfortable. People's feelings, and the struggles they may have with entrenched feelings, need to be respected.
People learn from their experiences, and those experiences usually involve the senses and feelings. Television affects feelings first. Sounds, moving pictures, pace of editing, and special effects all combine to give viewers the feeling of an experience. Critical viewers will be able to name those feelings and understand how they influence thinking and affect viewing.
Source: Reprinted with permission from Pat Kipping,
Think TV: A Guide to Managing TV in the Home. Nova Scotia Department of Education, 2000, pp. iv-vii.
