With information so accessible to us today, you'd think that we'd be more curious to find out everything we can about the world. However, according to several reports, most of us behave just the opposite. A research paper published by the American Psychological Association suggests that the less we know about complex issues such as the economy and the environment, the more we want to avoid knowing about them.
Many of us believe that what we don’t know won’t hurt us. Is this way of thinking really better or worse?
The researchers conducted several studies in 2010 and 2011 to try and find out more about the extent of our reactions. One study found that the less we know about important social issues, the more we depend on the government. Another study found more concrete evidence, reporting that participants who felt most affected by the economic downturn kept away from anything that seemed to doubt the way the government handled the situation. Said participants, however, didn't avoid reading positive news about the government’s plan of action for the economy.
This behavior is not exactly advisable, according to co-author Aaron C. Kay, PhD, of Duke University who believes that "one should have less trust in someone to effectively manage something that is more complex." Unfortunately, this is the mechanism most of us fall back on. Instead of taking on the problem ourselves, we tend to sit back and "outsource" the issue to the government.
Take another study on an important economic issue for example. In this project, researchers observed how people reacted to news of oil shortage in America. A group of 163 US citizens with an average age of 32 was interviewed and asked to give opinions on the matter. The participants were also asked to read a report stating that the oil supply n the country would last for less than 40 years. Results revealed that those who felt like they didn't know a lot about the issue avoided the negative reports about it.
Now whether ignorance truly is bliss or not, we might never really know. However, it’s also important to remember that while we’re busy trying not to find out more than what we want to know, the rest of the world is moving forward with eyes wide open.
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You can also teach your kids how to understand important issues early on. If you don't know how, here's an article to help you out:
(Photo by bizstone via Flickr Creative Commons)
