critical & CREATIVE thinking

CRITICAL & CREATIVE THINKING STATEMENT

As my time at UW Bothell comes to an end, I reflect on the critical and creative thinking skills I have developed throughout this journey. For me, critical thinking is the ability to set aside personal biases, carefully observe the evidence, approach problems with an open mind, consider different perspectives, and ask the right questions to form a well-rounded, factual-based conclusion. Understanding how and why perspectives differ is crucial to helping one engage in productive and powerful debates. Having strong critical thinking skills enables one to approach any subject matter and apply systematic evaluation methods to reach an unbiased and objective decision or result. Throughout my time at UW Bothell, I have had to apply critical and creative thinking in numerous classes, which has helped me to grow and challenge my assumptions.

One example which demonstrates my critical thinking skills is my final paper in BISMCS 333, Media and Communication Studies. This was a literary analysis of the documentary film, The Social Dilemma. The parameters of this assignment were to respond to the claim that the film was a counter-hegemonic challenge to big tech. The film does disguise itself as such, but after careful analysis of each scene, I was able to draw out some inconsistencies in this proclamation, such as why the experts being interviewed, former employees of giant tech, believe they are the ones to solve the very problem they created. Using critical thinking also helped me to identify other shortcomings in the film such as the fact it only looks at one perspective, that of an average middle-class American family, and doesn’t consider views from other countries or socioeconomic classes. Additionally, it made me question Netflix’s motivation for featuring this film on their platform when they themselves are a tech giant. Does Netflix view themselves differently from other big tech companies? Or are they simply creating whatever content they believe will attract the most viewers? Could it be that they feel a moral obligation to address the issue? Or maybe they want people to spend less time on social media so they will spend more time watching Netflix? Ultimately, through critical thinking, I was able to inform my analysis and address the question of whether this documentary was a counter-hegemonic challenge to big tech.

Another example which demonstrates both my creative and critical thinking skills is my final assignment in BIS 331, Journalism and Media History. The assignment was to photographically recreate two iconic photojournalism images from the past that make a statement about our contemporary society today. This required researching each iconic photo to understand its historical significance and then considering how it is still relevant today. The photos I selected were “At the Time of the Louisville Flood” by Margaret Bourke-White and “Manuel, the young shrimp-picker” by Lewis Wickes Hine. I used a collage approach in PhotoShop to recreate each image in a modern context. In both recreations, my goal was to emphasize the irony and the fact that we continue to struggle with many of the same challenges from our past.

As I look to the future, I believe that the creative and critical thinking skills I have gained will strengthen my opportunities for employment and help me to succeed in my career. The ability to effectively analyze and evaluate problems is necessary for making smart decisions, both professionally and personally, and something I will carry forward throughout my life.

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