Today technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined, while our visual skills have improved, according to research. Researched by Patricia Greenfield, UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Children's Digital Media Center, Los Angeles. How much should schools use new media, versus older techniques such as reading and classroom discussion? Greenfield said. "If we want to develop a variety of skills, we need a balanced media diet. Each medium has costs and benefits in terms of what skills each develops." Among the studies Greenfield analyzed was a…