Critical Thinking and Transilience: Possible Answers to Invisible Poverty

Abstract

The contemporary era is characterised by a plethora of paradoxical phenomena, which are readily discernible through a critical gaze. Although individuals have access to an unlimited quantity of content, the speed at which they are created impairs its effective comprehension. Despite the public intention of digital platforms and social networks to facilitate the democratisation of knowledge among users, they frequently result in the proliferation of disinformation and the fragmentation of content. This has a particularly adverse impact on the most vulnerable social groups, who often lack the requisite interpretative, analytical and contextualising skills. The cultivation of critical thinking and transilience are educational commitments of the present era. They are essential for the assessment of information reliability and the enabling of autonomous and aware participation in democratic processes. The current abundance of information has accentuated cultural poverty, particularly among social groups that are already subject to invisible forms of poverty. This is because the information deluge has deprived these groups of the importance of recognizing the value of information. Through an analysis of the aforementioned issues, the contribution presents the necessity to equip citizens with cognitive and digital tools to orient themselves in the digital swarm.