University of Kwazulu-Natal

Information Overload Combating Misinformation With Critical Thinking

Bonisiwe Shabane
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information overload combating misinformation with critical thinking

Posted November 23, 2025 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch How many Trump administration executive orders, policy announcements, or social media blasts have you heard about this week? Can you even begin to name them all? U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration have been said to engage in a strategy called “flooding the zone”—releasing a great deal of information with the goal of distracting the media and the public. (Almost certainly, they are not the only politicians to do this.

For example, Boris Johnson’s London mayoral campaigns were said to use the “dead cat strategy,” shocking the public with an announcement to distract them from news they preferred they not see.) The U.S. political application of this term, which was borrowed from the name of a tactic used in American football, can be traced to former Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who said, “All we have to do... They'll bite on one, and we'll get all of our stuff done, bang, bang, bang.” Flooding the zone might work as a political strategy, but it takes a psychological toll on media consumers. For example, polls show that 65% of U.S. adults have felt the need to reduce their media consumption because of information overload and ensuing feelings of fatigue.

Moreover, experimental research has found that a habit of closely following political news is a chronic stressor, often leading to negative emotions (Ford et al., 2023). But information overload doesn’t just undermine our psychological well-being; it can also undermine democracy. In a recent article, “Critical ignoring when information abundance is detrimental to democracy,” psychology researchers Stephan Lewandowsky and Ralph Hertwig (2025) outlined why information overload harms democracy and provided a strategy on how we... First, the authors share findings that information abundance causes misinformation because our ability to differentiate truth from falsehood decreases when we are overwhelmed and in a hurry. In fact, the research shows that overwhelmed people are more likely to share “things that are partially or completely untrue.” Why? Essentially, we’re more likely to share the splashy findings which are, in turn, more likely to be misinformation.

As the researchers explain, this information abundance harms democracy via several mechanisms, ranging from “triggering misinformation cascades to generating coping strategies that result in reduced political accountability.” The Erosion of Critical Thinking in the Digital Age: A Crisis of Information Literacy In today’s hyper-connected world, the deluge of information bombarding us from all directions presents a formidable challenge: discerning truth from falsehood. The ease with which misinformation proliferates across social media platforms, email chains, and even in-person conversations underscores a growing societal deficiency in critical thinking skills. From misinterpreting satire as genuine news to accepting dubious sources at face value, the lack of critical evaluation has become a pervasive issue. This deficiency not only fuels the spread of misinformation but also erodes trust in credible sources, hindering informed decision-making and contributing to societal polarization.

The urgent need to address this crisis of critical thinking requires a multi-pronged approach, encompassing educational reforms, individual responsibility, and a re-evaluation of how we consume and process information. The lament over the decline of critical thinking often points a finger at the education system. While the acquisition of knowledge remains a cornerstone of education, the cultivation of critical thinking skills, the ability to analyze, evaluate, and apply that knowledge, has often been neglected. The Reboot Foundation’s annual report paints a stark picture: while the vast majority of adults recognize the importance of critical thinking, a significant proportion admit to lacking formal training in this crucial skill. This gap highlights a systemic failure to equip individuals with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of the information landscape. The consequences are far-reaching, contributing to a susceptibility to misinformation, an inability to engage in constructive dialogue, and a diminished capacity for informed decision-making in all aspects of life.

The Critical Thinking Institute identifies several key factors contributing to this educational shortcoming. First, a lack of teacher training in critical thinking perpetuates a cycle of inadequacy. When educators themselves haven’t been adequately prepared to teach these skills, students are deprived of the necessary guidance. Second, an overemphasis on rote memorization and knowledge acquisition overshadows the development of critical thinking abilities. Students are taught "what" to think, but not "how" to think. Third, a misconception exists among some educators that they are already fostering critical thinking when, in reality, their methods fall short.

Without a deep understanding of the skill set, effective instruction becomes impossible. Fourth, traditional grading systems often prioritize performance over the demonstration of critical thinking, further marginalizing its importance. Finally, the fragmented nature of many curricula, with its rapid shifts between subjects, undermines the development of sustained critical analysis. Addressing this crisis requires a paradigm shift in education, prioritizing the development of critical thinking skills alongside knowledge acquisition. This includes providing educators with comprehensive training in critical thinking pedagogy, incorporating critical analysis into all aspects of the curriculum, and developing assessment methods that accurately gauge these skills. Beyond the classroom, individuals bear the responsibility for cultivating their own critical thinking abilities.

This involves adopting a skeptical mindset, questioning information sources, evaluating evidence, and seeking diverse perspectives. In a world awash in information, the ability to critically evaluate and discern truth from falsehood is not just a desirable skill, but an essential life skill. Introduction The last decade has shown rapid development in the information technology and its application. This has helped changed the way we look at the world as well as the way business is conducted. Both business and trade have gained under the wave of information technology with improvement in efficiency, productivity and bottom line. Productivity…

Introduction Information systems can be defined as set of co-ordinated network of components, which act together towards producing, distributing and or processing information. Information systems in conjunction with information technology have various applications in today’s business environment. Communication System The process of transmitting information from one place to another is called communication. The transfer of… Introduction The concept of the value chain was introduced by Michael Porter. The concept helps categories’ activities undertaken by enterprise to deliver a successful product to a customer.

The concept since its introduction in 1980s has become a forefront in developing strategies around customer delight and commercial success. The value chain is series of activities… We are literally and metaphorically drowning in information. From the time we wake up and check WhatsApp messages to the time we login to Facebook and Twitter or Google News, we are bombarded with an excess of information and data from multiple... Indeed, Information Overload, the term used to refer to the surfeit of information that we consume every day is taking such a huge toll on us that most of us often fall prey to... Classrooms and curricula are constantly evolving to match the emergent needs of learners and reflect the times we live in.

Coding used to be the domain of IT specialists, and now the basics are taught alongside reading and writing skills; and with the internet being the single greatest tool for learning, media literacy is... As the world changes, our ideas of firsthand sources of historical events won’t come from diaries and letters, but TikToks, Instagram posts and tweets. And in this age of information overload, with widespread use of generative AI on the horizon, equipping young people with the skills to identify misinformation is crucial. “Digital natives” is a term used to describe the generation that has grown up with the internet. They’re tech-savvy, able to quickly and intuitively navigate the internet, and consider technology central to their daily lives. A Stanford study revealed that while digital natives are adept at using the internet and technology, they’re not digitally literate.

Students struggle with verifying news and information sources and are susceptible to bias and misinformation. The report examined students’ ability to infer credibility from Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) posts, comments on news sites, blogs, visual content, and other online sources that inform civic opinion. There’s an obvious concern that the next generation of voters are at a higher risk of falling prey to misinformation because students value social media content over traditional sources. In the study, one of the assessments with high school students presented two Facebook posts announcing Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy. One post was from the official Fox News account, with a verified checkmark visible, while the other was a fake account. Surprisingly, only a quarter of the high school students pointed to the verification mark as a significant indication of authenticity.

On the other hand, 30% of students believed the fake account was trustworthy, citing graphics as a reason for credibility. As generative AI becomes more prolific, the ability to falsely create images and content is likely to widen the digital literacy gap. To stem the tide of misinformation, weaving digital literacy into the school curriculum can provide learners with the confidence to engage online as responsible digital citizens. One of the biggest differences between digital natives and their older counterparts, digital immigrants, is that millennials and Gen Z get their news almost exclusively online. The use of nontraditional sources for information means that platforms and apps like X, Instagram, and TikTok are increasingly used for real-time news updates and considered as more trustworthy sources. While studies show that all age groups fall prey to misinformation, the younger generation’s reliance on tech-driven news sources leaves them more susceptible to fake news.

Every day, we’re bombarded with more information than we can process. From social media headlines to news articles and endless streams of opinions, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. And the kicker? Not all of this information is accurate. In fact, much of it isn’t. We’re living in the age of misinformation, where half-truths and outright falsehoods can spread faster than ever.

In this noisy world, critical thinking has never been more important. If you want to stay smart and make informed decisions, you need to learn how to cut through the noise. Critical thinking isn’t just about questioning everything; it’s about knowing how to evaluate the information you receive, recognizing bias, and understanding how to form well-reasoned conclusions. At its core, critical thinking is the ability to analyze information objectively, evaluate evidence, and make logical conclusions. It’s about asking the right questions, seeking out reliable sources, and avoiding cognitive traps like confirmation bias. Essentially, it’s your mental filter—helping you sort through the noise and pick out what’s actually useful and true.

Critical thinking isn’t about being a skeptic for the sake of it. It’s about being curious, thoughtful, and open-minded. The goal is to understand the world as accurately as possible, even when the truth is buried beneath layers of misinformation. And the good news is that critical thinking is a skill you can learn and improve with practice. In the age of social media, anyone can share information with a global audience in seconds. While that’s amazing in some ways, it also means false information can spread just as quickly as the truth.

If you’re not careful, you can end up believing—or sharing—misleading facts without realizing it. That’s why being a critical thinker is so important today. It protects you from being misled and helps you make smarter decisions in every area of your life. We live in an era of information overload. The digital age grants us unprecedented access to knowledge, but it also exposes us to a deluge of misinformation, propaganda, and outright falsehoods. Navigating this complex landscape requires more than just passive consumption; it demands active critical thinking skills.

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