I get most of my news from the morning TV news. I
tend to analyze what I hear and view by comparing what
one station says to another. Additionally, I will have
conversations with friends and family about what we all
learned to see how we each interpreted it.As a citizen, I
get involved in the governmental process most directly by
casting my vote every election. Prior to elections, I apply
critical thinking during the process of learning about the
candidates. I find it imperative to learn as much as I
can about their viewpoints, analyze their track records, and
compare their ideas to my own ways of thinking prior to
casting my vote.Popular appeal is a fallacy I often see in
advertising that I tend to spot rather quickly and dismiss.
Commercials for cars are particularly guilty of this in that
they make it seem as though everyone is giving the gift
of a car for Christmas or your life will be more like
people you admire if you get a new car. I plan to
be a more mindful consumer by truly listening to what is
being pitched to me before making purchasing decisions, as
well as doing comparison shopping.My favorite part of this
class was learning the different communication styles, finding
my own, and finding those of family members. I think
this will help us with our internal communications. The most
difficult part for me was the segment on arguments, because
I tend to be heavily influenced by my own personal biases.
I typically get my information from major news outlets such
as MSNBC. I prefer sources that use factual evidence to
lead their reporting. I feel by watching news channels, reading
articles and doing overall research to become informed on
government proceedings is the best way to be involved.
However, not all sources are reliable so, I use my critical
thinking to cypher through, to the best of my ability, and
determine what is actually true. I try to find sources that
will keep personal bias out and show both sides of the
argument. This reasoning has lead me to outlets such as
MSNBC; the program includes shows that are lead from both
political parties, and will quickly correct themselves if there
is ever a misleading report. When consuming political news
I avoid propaganda, which are typically fallacies in my
opinion. For example, there has been candidates who use
propaganda such as, all immigrants are criminals, which is a
blatant lie but unfortunately some view this as true due
to stereotypes. I loved being able to use the lessons in
this class to self evaluate. I have learned new skills to
sharpen my critical thinking.
Business Profession
Business professionals need to solve problems, analyze data and
information, draw conclusions, and make decisions, all of which
are elements in critical thinking. Using critical thinking skills
to tap into one’s creativity to solve problems is paramount
for successful management and entrepreneurs.
Education Profession
Educators are responsible for teaching the necessary skills to
be successful in life, and critical thinking skills are at the
top of the list. Educators also need to think through the
best ways to teach the curriculum so that their students
are more successful in their learning processes.
Humanities Profession
Whether you are seeking your degree in English, Human
Services, Social Science, or another humanities-based profession,
you are going to need to apply critical thinking skills to
be successful. To help others, you need to be able to
think through the possible options and decide upon the best
course of action.
Information Technology (Computer) Profession
The IT industry changes rapidly, and those working in that
field need to be able to keep up. It is not enough
to learn how something is done today – you need to
be able to think critically about where the industry is
heading.
Medical Profession
As with science-based professions, the medical community uses
the Scientific Method to determine the best treatments for
patients’ ailments. The Scientific Method is a structured way
to apply critical thinking skills. Scientists do not come up
with a theory and then try to fit the facts into that
theory. Instead, they follow where the facts lead them and
form theories that explain the fact.
Psychology or Counseling Profession
To help people with their personal and/or professional problems,
one needs to be able to think through the possible options
and decide upon the best course of action.
Science-based Profession
The Scientific Method is a structured way to apply critical
thinking skills. Scientists do not come up with a theory
and then try to fit the facts into that theory. Instead,
they follow where the facts lead them and form theories
that explain the fact. For the most part I get my news
from mostly local news stations in my area that cover
topics that could possibly effect me the most. I analyze
what I hear from local and national news outlets very
carefully to ensure that I am not being mislead to believe
a certain agenda or narrative. I usually research multiple
sources of news for the same story to make sure I get
all the details. As a citizen, the best way to get involved
in your government local or national is to vote. Voting is
not only your civic duty but voting allows the citizen to
exercise their right to keep politicians accountable. When voting
in an election you using critical thinking because you have
to make a decision on policies and the person in that
office.Rhetoric is used especially during an election season by
the candidates running for office. An example of the rhetoric
is a campaign commercial. You will frequently hear advertisements
that favor a candidate over the other candidate that is
running against the other person. I have enjoyed the entire
class epically learning about fallacies, critical thinking and
arguments. I have enjoyed this class and would highly
recommend it to people starting at the University of Phoenix.
I get most of my info from Facebook because everyone
talks about everything. The way I analyze it and justify
if things being said are real is by looking it up on
google to see what's true or false. I like to visit multiple
sites to make sure my information is accurate.On a personal
level I do not get into the governmental process. One
reason is because I am in the military and it does not
look professional if I get into it. And I do not get
into it because I really do not know a whole lot about
it. My news comes from the radio and internet sites like
MSN. As a critical thinker, I do analyze what a hear
and read, knowing that a lot of information provided is
bias based on the viewpoints of the commentator or author.
As a citizen, I have written e mails to my senator and
representative of my district to get my opinion heard. My
critical thinking skills have helped me get my point across,
being well-informed and rational in my writing makes it
easier for them to understand.The most common fallacy see
is the inappropriate appeal to authority in advertisements. The
advertisers use a pro-athlete or celebrity who is popular at
the time to get you to purchase their product. As a
critical thinker, I would not buy a Lincoln car, just because
Mathew McConaughey is the spokesperson for the brand. I
would research if the brand is reliable and affordable to
make a sound decision.My favorite activity was learning about
fallacies, being able to identify the fallacy I heard or seen
was educational. The most challenging activity was finding the
correct article in week four’s homework assignment. You must
clarify your search to get the correct articles, that are most
helpful. I get most of my news on the internet. I never
like to go to a specific source, they tend to tell the
side of the story they want. In my opinion most are
very biased. For example I'll go to CNN and Fox news
for updates on politics. I'll look up the same subject, I'll
then analyze the differences and go to the comment sections
to see how people are reacting and feeling about the
matter. By doing that it allows me to form my opinion
while also hearing different view points.As a citizen you can
take different steps to get involved in the governmental
process. You can contact government officials. You can also
participate in the voting elections. This year it was made
easier as we were given different options to cast our votes.
When involved in these activities it's important to analyze,
stick to the facts and remove the emotion part of it,
and really looking at the macro level. As well as the
desired best outcome for all parties involved.In every successful
business it's important to use the art of rhetoric in order
to appeal to their targeted audience and convince them to
make the purchase. The most common one I see is beauty
products. They will use celebrities to advertise their products
and convince the consumer that they as well can look like
them. It's important to apply critical thinking and read what
ingredients are in the products, read reviews and make a
decision to buy based on that. My favourite class activity
was really the interaction on our posts and seeing how
everyone processed the same information we were given. I
also enjoyed the quick videos as they were informative and
straight to the point. Most challenging I would say for me
was the first week just getting into the flow of the
classroom. I'm not big on social media so I don't get
much of my news from there, but many of my friends
*are* big on social media where news travels like wildfire.
Most of the time the way that I learn about current
events is one of my friends mentions it, I google it,
and I read the first few articles.
For starters, I vote. Voting is a massive exercise in critical
thinking - any and all parties you could be voting for
are trying to persuade you to vote for them. If you
don't think critically and ignore/avoid the persuasions of the
candidates, you may end up supporting someone that doesn't
yield the best outcome.
I've seen the Ad Hominem fallacy used countless times in
advertising. People think insults are funny, so using an insult
against your competitor as a reason to buy your product
makes people laugh and like your product.
I'd say my favorite was the breakdown of types of
arguments and the visual outlines of them. It made a lot
of sense, was engaging, and made me come out of it
feeling like I had really learned something. The most
challenging concept for me was the concept of empathy being
a core component of critical thinking. I understand it now,
but it still doesn't make a lot of rational sense to me.
I get my news from several sources. I watch network
news from our Portland affiliates and then the National news
from either ABC or CBS. I also watch the Public
Broadcasting News Hour to get a broader look at the
news. Something with a little more depth in their coverage.
I think that since I started taking this class, my mind
has started to question everything I hear. I question whether
the facts are valid and if they are laying some fallacy.
Most of what I hear lately is a relevant story, but with
what is going on in our Nation's Capital these last few
days, the list of fallacy’s coming out of President’s mouth
causes me great concern.
The biggest thing that I can do is to vote. That is
the biggest thing that anybody can do. I also spent 8
years working in Radio. I was a Newscaster at one of
our local radio stations. I reported on local area news,
City Council meetings, and all of the workings of city
and county governments. One of the rewards of working
there was I worked for a sitting Congressman and had all
the state and National Senators and Congressmen come through
and I would get to interview them. It was a great
honor to have met each of them during my time as a
newscaster. Back then, my critical thinking skills were all
right but not as good as they are now. There were a
few of the people that I interviewed that what I would
call “Quoting the Party line” and did not express how
they felt about an issue, but they were all well informed
and were a credit to the office that they served.
I will focus my attention on the commercials that use
Rhetorical Devices. These commercials use different use of
language that is hard to understand if you are not careful.
Language such as euphemisms. Sarcasm to get their point
across to the consumer. These types of ads are for making
a quick buck only and do not care how they get their
point across. What we must do as consumers are to what
out for these types of ads and so send them to the
curb. Realize them for what they are and to ignore them.
I would have to say that learning about all of the
diverse ways that the Mass Media uses to trick all of
us to buy what we do not need. I have always had
a good head on my shoulders. And I was taught to
think for myself, but since I have taken this class, I
certainly have a lot more to think about. The most
challenging thing is that. “what I know is not nearly
enough of what I should know.” If that makes sense.
There is so much that I now must learn just to get
caught up. This is something that I will keep learning
from now on. Regarding my news and information, I seek
an unbiased news source that presents the story factually,
without any spin toward political stance or benefit from the
broadcasting company. When obtaining information from any source,
I apply the mnemonic device CCRCS as a criteria checklist.
I analyze the clarity, credibility (one of the most significant
component to news and information, I believe), conciseness,
relevance, completeness, and soundness.
We live in a vociferous world, where there is an infinite
amount of information assessable. There is a large amount of
misinformation being published and feed to our society. According
to Boss (2016), information can be distorted by cognitive and
social errors such as confirmation bias, probability error, and
the "one of us/one of them" error. Now, more than---
ever, it is essential for us to be critical thinkers and
apply our critical thinking skills to ensure we receive accurate
and creditable information to be well-informed individuals and
not just opinionated. As citizens and community members of
a great society, we can get involved in the governmental
process by volunteering in local political campaigns, voting and
elections, lobbying legislators, joining advocacy groups, serving on
juries, and engaging in civil disobedience to protest unjust
laws. Although much of advertising, commercials, etc., can be
informative, they are fallacy or rhetoric. Many ads rely on
fallacies and psychological persuasion rather than credible information
and rational argumentation. For example, Scare tactics are used
to create anxiety or play on our fears, insecurities, or
sense of shame. We are told that we are not good-looking
or thin enough, have bad breath, body odor, or dandruff,
have an unattractive personality or the wrong clothes, or are
poor parents. The ad then promises a solution to the
problem—which in some cases, we didn't realize we had in
the first place. Although some ads that use scare tactics
promote products that may deliver on their promises, others
go on to commit the fallacy of questionable cause by
creating a false expectation that something wonderful, such as
becoming more beautiful, thinner, more popular, or happier, will
result if we use the product.Our society is being study
and targeted for financial gain. Advertisers exploit our
vulnerabilities; we buy impulsively, and they capitalize on it.
Because many marketers do not have an ethical or moral
obligation, they do not consider the broader social and
environmental implications of their product has on our society.
And this is why it is--- crucial to be a critical thinker,
so we can be aware, ww analyze, and informed of how
products will affect us, good or bad. I do not have one
favorite activity or concept from this class. I believe all
the activities and concepts were significant and beneficial to
my learning and growth as a college student. Though I
considered myself a "good" critical thinker before this class,
I feel this course challenged me to become an excellent
critical thinker and provided me with excellent information and
resources. Learning the mnemonic device CCRCS was the best
tip I gained. The CCRCS enables me to have a structured
outline for analyzing and processing data and developing and
forming opinions and decisions. I honestly get most of my
news from social media. I anazlyze what I hear or read
by looking up the information or maybe even from news
stations. I don’t really like to watch the news channels
anymore because everything is just so negative or stories are
misconstrued. When I do find out news in the world or
what’s going on in the world it is from social media
but I look more into it to make sure it is legit or
correct information. One way that is very common to get
involved in the governmental process is by voting which I
have been doing ever since I was able to do so! I
apply critical thinking when being involved in that process
by just thinking my information through. An example of a
fallacy that I have seen being used for marketing purposes,
commercials, or advertisement is manipulation. In that case
people are manipulated into believing something and trying to
take away from the important information. I enjoyed learning
about everything in this class. All the information obtained
has been very useful even in my every day life. One
of my main sources for news is, "Drudge report." It is
a website that is updated every day and links to other
headlines and articles for world news. This site does not
have all of the world's articles or an archive to review
the previous day's headlines so sometimes I have to use
other sources. When looking at stories for a certain event
that happened, I look at the headline articles because not
all of the other news sites are the same. Some sites
will display their Ideas and belief in the headline alone.
most times I do have to read multiple articles to try
and understand the full story while trying to strain the
emotion that is added by the authors. the same can be
said when looking at your involvement with the government
process, it is important to analyze parties and find out
what their intentions are. so you may take part in voting
for people, bills, and other props that may affect the future
of the country. Advertisements are used by many people for
products and companies. the point of it is to make a
product seen more, many of the advertisements we see today
all share one thing, fallacies. One of the most common
fallacies that I have seen in ads is the Appeal to
emotion fallacy. a lot of these advertisements try to make
you feel bad or sad about not purchasing a product or
try to add a story about how a product saved their life,
this fallacy mostly appears in ads for medical products,
charities, and schools. while these fallacies can result in
purchases it is ultimately up to the consumer to purchase
products, but there are a lot of strategies that are used
to coax a consumer into impulse purchases. I already consider
myself a mindful consumer, I usually put myself on a
weekly budget and if I exceed that budget then I don't
allow myself to make any more purchases. One thing I
could do is ask myself if this product has any use to
me, many of the products I do purchase are temporary
self-indulgences like fast food. one thing that confuses me,
as it always has, is the whole political process, why do
the people not get a say in the people that will run
for president or for a legislature. even though we are not
a direct democracy but a representative democracy, why can
the people have a say in who to elect aside from the
president or the governor? When it comes to receiving news,
I normally gets most of my news from news channels,
facebook, and world news apps. One way I analyze what
I hear, read, and view is by viewing different sources to
see if they all are giving the same information. I then
take bits and pieces from each source that one source
might not report and put it together.
As a citizen one way to get involved in the government
process is to vote. Learn what each candidate has to offer
the people and ways it can benefit us as a whole.
When applying critical thinking, you have to think about the
future and what good and bad could happen when picking
the right person to vote for. Voting and picking the wrong
person could cause a lot changes that could effect a person
life in a major way. one way to ensure you help the
right person to win is by getting out and campaigning and
letting other know the importance of voting.
An example of fallacy is hair companies that sale hair
extensions at beauty supply stores. Different beauty store uses
different types of commercials to help with advertisements and
sales of their hair products. The advertisement of the products
help people to see different types of hair extensions that
customers might want to buy. I use to think that all
beauty stores sold a nice bundles of hair until I started
buying it and it wasn't actually nice hair. It was totally
a waste of money but the commercials and advertisement
made me want to start buying their items.
If someone was to ask what was my favorite activity in
the class I would have to say the arguments activities. I
really enjoyed this activity because it help to understand
different types of ways to conduct an argument. And the
importance of getting your point across without defending another
person. The activity I would say was the hardest would
be reason, emotions, and communication. I choose this one
because I was kind of hard trying to understand different
emotions, reasons, and ways to communicate. With this activity
you have to put in a lot of time to understand what
it is that the assignment is asking. It's hard to believe
that we are closing in on the last week of this course
especially because I have so much more to learn. Applying
as many of the critical thinking skills as I can each
day is definitely something I am taking with me. As far
as where I get the news from I like to read the
news online; whether that is from Fox News, CNN, Wall
Street Journal, or other news outlets. It's easier for me to
digest and analyze what I am reading instead of watching
the news on the television as I am not really into
television or even close to being a "tv junkie." Being able
to read and understand my own interpretation of the news
seems to help me more.
Getting involved as a citizen is a weakness that I plan
to work on moving forward in life. Really the only way
that I have been involved is by voting; which is me
just doing my part instead of really getting actively involved
with other issues or policies. Going into the future I will
plan more to get involved and to help push through the
things I believe in.
When it comes to fallacies and advertisements, I remember
when I used to believe that almost every cosmetic products
were going to make me look like the actress on the
commercial. That all the shampoo and hair products would
make my hair amazing and that moisturizes would make my
skin flawless and I was naive enough to believe the more
expenses they were the more it meant they would work.
Ha! Silly goose! Definitely finding clarity, understanding fallacies,
and doing research helped me get out of this mindset.
My favorite activity from this class so far has been the
discussions around the lessons we are all working on. There
isn't much better learning about being a critical thinker than
getting to read and hear others perspectives. Being able to
take what others say or how they view things, really
engaging and communicating can help all of be better critical
thinkers.
There aren a couple of areas that I need to work on
going forward and that is the clarity and not just assuming
I know what the other person is asking but to really
dig deep, ask the right questions and then make sound
decisions. The other piece to that for me is to take my
time and really analyze what is being discussed, breaking the
conversation down and using reasoning! That is definitely
something I need to practice daily so that I can be a
better critical thinker; otherwise I just end up in an
argument and emotional. In this day in age I get a lot
of my new from social media. I used to watch a lot
of news but with everything going on this year it was
a bit depressing, so I stepped away from the tv. None
the less, social media may not be the best alternative.
Twitter is a big news outlet and whether or not the
information is correct, a lot of government officials use this
platform to reach their audience. When I see and hear
certain things I take them with a grain of salt at first,
considering where I got the news from. Most of the time
I do further research but there has definitely been information
that was misunderstood or incorrect.
The election of 2020 is probably the first way I have
been involved in the governmental process. With it being one
of the most popular elections in history I wanted to make
sure I was confident with my vote. I applied a lot of
critical thinking during the whole process. After evaluating my
morals, personal financial situation and possible outcomes for
my future I was able to make a decision.
An example of a fallacy I've seen used in a commercial
advertisement is fallacy of accent. In the Snickers commercials
the famous saying is "You're not you when you're hungry,
eat a snickers" For some, being hungry puts you in a
bad mood, this brand claims that if you're "hangry" a
snickers will get you back to normal. One thing I will
do to become a more mindful consumer is research. Before
purchasing from a new brand, I want to know where the
products are made, the brands morals and the research that
they have done.
My favorite thing from this course was week 2 which
was also the most difficult part of this course. The reason
for this is because I'm so glad this course taught me
how to use reason and emotion when it comes to critical
thinking. The hard part about this is implementing it into
my everyday life. From not conforming to what everyone
else does to controlling my anger and blame when I
become stressed. Unfortunately I get my news like most
people by getting alerts on my phone. This is very
convenient but also not always seeing the right story. I
will get either CNN, USAtoday, or TIME. These are all
quality sources but also will have there own spin on the
stories, so it is tough to believe which is the "right"
news.
Getting involved in government for the average person isn't
the easiest thing to do. I would recommend starting with
your local government, this will give you a better idea of
how the "average" citizen can start to make a difference.
This way will help you start to see the process of local
government and can see the process on a smaller scale.
As for trying to be a part of "big" government isn't as
easy. This would take some time to get into and leave
your make. I am not saying it can't be done, but rather
that it just takes time.
My favorite activity in these last five weeks has been
doing this weekly discussion. It is nice to see what others
opinions are on the same topics we all are writing about.
If I am being honest I still get most of my information
from CNN and newspaper articles, I also check links that
people share on Facebook from major news outlets around
the world, Which is pretty cool. I do think with information
being so easily accessible we take it for granted at times
and over look checking for validity. Before this class I
was always curious but skeptical about the information I saw.
After a few weeks of this class I started becoming more
of a fact checker, I look at multiple sources to confirm
validity of information I see. I make sure to check more
credible domains such as .edu and .gov.
As a citizen I tend to look at my state representatives,
mayors and public officials and research their policies, ideas
and character. I have never been one to vote for someone
simply based on the the tribal system of republican or
democrat. I like to know the individual and how they can
help the majority over the minority. I take a very logical
approach to this aspect of my life and tend to block
out the noise of the media who favors one or the
other.Beats Headphones tend to use a false authority fallacy
when advertising their products. They pay famous musicians and
athletes millions of dollars to endorse their product. In my
opinion their are dozens of far superior headphones on the
market that are less expensive. Beats are still thriving though
because of the success of the fallacy they are using through
marketing techniques.Chapter 10 was very helpful in not being
so impulsive as a consumer. I will be more mindful of
marketing strategies and pick up prescriptions at the drive-thru
window as well as avoid feeling any irrational guilt. Making
lists when shopping also helps me stay focused. I honestly
think just being educated as to what certain retailers intentions
are is half the battle.My favorite concept was also the
most in depth or challenging on for me. It was exploring
how to identify and make a valid and sound argument.
There were so many different working parts and ways to
get to a valid argument and so many things to look
out for when identifying a faulty one. I get most of
my news off social media, I mean they do know before
the real news reporters know anything, I analyze in my
point of view of the situations. I don't put my inputs
in because it don't be my business to say what I feel
or think. The way I get involve in governmental process
is by voting or being on welfare, getting assistance with
m kids. I think about my situation and the next person
so I don't act before I think, I think way before I
act on any situation, that's why it will be so hard for
me to respond or engage in a conversation on pettiness
or ignit things. , I learned about are Naturalistic fallacy,
Inductive argument, Prescriptive premises, Empirical facts, Analogical
premises, Definitional premise, Explanation, Conditional statement,
Independent premises.
If someone ask me my favorite activity or concepts about
this class, I would say as of right now I don't even
remember too much about nothing right now, my christmas
break been the worst ever, starting with the passing of
my moms, then not being able to get my kids anything,
oh lost my job first but, don't mind me, I'm here and
bless and yea I really learned alot of this class, starting
from fallacies, premises, the different types of reasons for the
arguments, the purpose of things. I volunteer at the food
pantry in my local community. I analyze the number of
families that will receive donations that day. I then estimate
the amount of people it will take to shop all the
categories and bag items to prepare for each family.I am
fascinated by Ad Hominem Fallacy, It is identified in many
of the presidential advertisements. I find it the easiest to
identify. Fallacies have made me aware of the marketing
schemes that consumers need to be more aware of.I enjoyed
reading about all the fallacies and how they connect to
different situations.
The most challenging part of this class was to ensure that
when you are writing that you site anything that you
reference. I have to work on that. Most of my news
comes from the internet and television. Sometimes i will
catch the 5o clock news or skim through google on daily
topics. I do not really believe most of what I hear
because I know that biases are being used and also
fallacies. I know that some of the information is credible
while most of it is based on opinions. The best ways
to get involved into the governmental process is to vote.
Voting is a powerful way to express your views but even
that I am skeptical of because I do not believe anything
to be totally up to the decision of common citizens. I
personally believe that a small group of very powerful people
control everything in the world, except our own free will
that is. I guess I am a conspiracy theorist? The most
common fallacy that i notice basically everyday is the fallacy
of questionable cause, especially in the beauty industry.
Commercials for make up will involve actresses who appear
less attractive without the product and more attractive with
it. When in fact make up only irritates the skin and
causes blemishes that make the skin rely heavily on the
everyday use of it. I do not use make up heavily but
to avoid being drawn to it I just focus on self love
and care. Dating men who can appreciate the natural beauties
that I possess. To wrap up my response I have no
favorite thing about this weeks activities. They are all equally
beneficial to my intellectual and psychological growth. I get
most of my news from the media websites themselves. I
don't watch the news on television and I don't get a
newspaper, instead I either go to websites such as abc57.com
or the local newspaper's website. If I come across a story
that seems incredible or that I feel I need to look into
a bit more, then I usually go to another website for
another local media source and see what they are saying
about that topic.
As a citizen, I do not get involved in the government
process, nor do I have any desire to get involved in
any of that. Long ago, I came to the conclusion that
no matter who is in charge politically, no matter what
platform they are running on, they don't care about us
either way. They only care about making their bank accounts
larger, so I avoid that all together.
Fallacy or rhetoric is common in advertising, for instance
save 15 percent in 15 minutes. It's a great and effective
marketing tool, but can they honestly say that everyone saves
15 percent? I believe that's the part that makes this
statement a fallacy. Maybe I'm a born skeptic, but I feel
that's useful when it comes to critical thinking because it
kind of forces you to research and look for more
information.My favorite concept from this class was all the
barriers that exist in people's minds that you have to be
able to get past and be aware of when presenting arguments.
Social media platforms like instagram and twitter are the
primary source for where I receive information about the
news/current events. It is the easiest way for me to access
it, however this can sometimes cloud my judgement about
the topics being discussed. A lot of bias is presented on
social media. Because of the bias, I have to apply my
critical thinking skills to see if the source is credible and
providing a valid argument. I am not as involved in
government processes as I should be. I think that the best
way to get involved is to stay informed. Keeping up with
the news and current events is a great way to stay
active and engaged with what is going on within the
government. Critical thinking is also very important in this
process. Understanding what is credible and what is not plays
an essential part as a citizen.Relative to politics, I have
seen a fair amount of hasty generalization advertisements and
comments from our president, Donald Trump. One instance
specifically is how he casts all immigrants as criminals. This
cannot be said about all immigrants. Critical thinking is
extremely important, and it is easy for people to believe
this because of Donald Trump's power he holds. My favorite
thing that I have learned from this class would have to
be the fallacies. I think that identifying fallacies and being
able to determine the credibility of a source is extremely
important in critical thinking and everyday life.
