Soapbox Sunday: The death of the scholarly age

As technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined, while our visual skills have improved, according to research. Reading for pleasure, which has declined among young people in recent decades, enhances thinking and engages the imagination in a way that visual media does not. With the decline in reading does that affect our ability to obtain knowledge. With our attention now being channelled to visual media are social influencers now those who influence intellect?

As social media has proliferated and become a primary channel for influencers to engage with their audiences, the line between advocacy, knowledge and self promotion has continued to blur. Modern consumers, overwhelmed by media and visual content on a daily basis, are forced to identify the sources of information and inspiration that they can trust. This trust then turns to accepting information presented as factual. Hence allowing our sources of knowledge to be explicitly in total trust of influencers. 

Is the age of the intellect over? Are social influencers the scholars of our generation. Come, listen debate and more.