Are we are slowly losing our ability to think?

During a discussion with my IIM-A strategy Prof Sunil Sharma, in the context of dependence on spoon feeding, he mentioned a very interesting point that we are slowly losing our ability to think. That got me thinking, on several recent events.

• During the Lopkal bill debate on campus and even outside, I'm sure that less than 10%(even that is generous) people commenting on the issue would have read the bill and its competing versions, to form their own opinions. Yet, everyone and his uncle was commenting and liking Facebook status messages, and demonizing those who did not agree.
• When asked to submit comment papers/letters on economic, legal, taxation and even public interest matters, the number of individual comment letters are quite few. This is sadly true even for professionals who do not take time out to critically analyze draft documents relating to THEIR work. 
• The reading habit is dying, in favour of short spurts of concentrated entertainment.
• During lectures at IIM-A and elsewhere, few people put in meaningful class participation. And even fewer have the temerity to seek clarification/question a Prof or a student presenter. This is true even for public seminars/talks/conferences.

Taken together, this trend is not an encouraging one. Thinking critically is not just for analysts, journalists or others but is for everyone, if they want to avoid being classes as sheeple.