Introduction to Thinking Skills for the Digital Generation

Abstract

We think during every moment of our waking time, with or without being aware of it. Ever since the “Golden Era” of human civilization around the fifth and the sixth century BCE, eastern and western scholars have thought about thinking. Initially, the primary purpose of thinking was to deal with the details of everyday living. As social beings, humans also wanted to communicate their thoughts to others. At that early period, communication had two purposes. One was to communicate information. The other was to influence others’ thinking and actions. These two purposes are still the primary goals of communication. But, in both cases, thoughts come before communication. The human brain, with the use of language, is our means to thinking. Previous discussions have approached thinking with attention to two components, the rational and emotional. But, in the current Age of Information Technology, we must also consider the role of technology in our thinking.