Why Thinkbait Exists

I want people to appreciate that they can still use their minds. That we can question ourselves and grow, and be willing to change our stance after reading a book or an opinion piece by someone whose view opposes our own.

I believe brilliant ideas and beautiful thoughts often happen during friction, when we're working something out for ourselves. Once we develop those muscles of independent thinking, difficult intellectual work can become something we actually find joy in doing.

I'm speaking as a mother of two young children, too. I worry that our reliance on technology is normalising shortcuts for children before they've had the opportunity to learn how to manage that friction. The internal work of analysing your thoughts, questioning the world, questioning yourself, questioning the system. How do you even become aware of something if you don't have the words or the thoughts for it?

Quite often, I catch myself scrolling and thinking: I want to stop. I have things to do, and my children are in the room. I should be with them. I'm there physically, but not mentally or emotionally.

I have to drag myself away from the screen and reconnect with them. Then there's a notification. My phone has gone off again.

I find this so difficult. To me, it is damaging to the whole texture of our humanness and to a healthy, functioning society. And I know I'm caught up in it myself.

When I regularly read physical books, I notice a difference in word recall, how I combine words and how I construct my sentences. My thinking feels quicker, too. If I go for two weeks without reading because life gets busy, I notice how much harder it becomes to choose something I would usually say or write.

I predicted the algorithmic accent in my book Thinkbait. I said that what we are exposed to more and more would influence how we express ourselves in writing as well as in conversation.

I'm noticing less and less colour in the way people write and even talk sometimes. It would be such a shame to lose that. I want to examine what's happening, read the research and hear what other people are noticing, too.

After six months of reading Thinkbait, I hope you'll be asking more questions yourself. Talking about them. Reading further and forming informed opinions, including opinions that may differ from mine.

I want you to feel hopeful, inspired and better informed. Able to help your children and yourself. This is for the teacher, the mother, the father, the carer, and anyone who wants to think about how we're living with these technologies.

I don't want us to let the loss of original thought happen to us just because everybody else seems to be going down the same route. I want to write about this, talk about it and keep asking questions. Thinkbait is where I'll be doing that.