Once information became so conveniently available, it became too available, and no one wants to actually try and get it. They just want immediate answers. 50 years ago, people waited weeks to years for answers, or got them themselves. So they went to library and did research. Now, headlines are enough for this society. No one actually wants to make sure what they're reading is true or factually accurate. Just as long as there is headline out there that supports their argument, they can get back to their reality tv where they "don't have to think".
side note: anyone who says they watch reality tv because they "don't have to think" while watching it, really doesn't understand how easy it is to think, and are just repeating what they heard from someone else to convince themselves that it's okay to watch junk. Because watching a 30 minute comedy or hour drama can be just as easy to watch, and you actually get a moral at the end of it that has some meaning. It can be as easy as "it's okay to lose friends", something a 6 year old can completely understand. That's not hard thinking, but somehow reality show viewers love building up the idea that anything not reality tv related is hard thinking. They just don't like to try easy shit. Thinking is passive.
side note 2: same goes towards reading. once you know how to do it, it's a fucking breeze. But people still "don't want to think". Yay for the future!
That's our neighbors, family, and friends. We fucked.