Doomscrolling ourselves to death
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Declining literacy is reversing Enlightenment gains, driven by TV and smartphones.
James Marriott's book 'The New Dark Ages' argues that literacy peaked in the mid-20th century and has declined since, first due to television and then smartphones. TV reduced reading from 5 to 3.5 hours weekly in the Netherlands; cable TV in Norway lowered IQ by 0.08 points per year of coverage. The average person checks a phone 144 times daily. Marriott contrasts literate leaders like Harry Truman with post-literate figures like Donald Trump, who cannot read one-page memos. He sees populist rhetoric and conspiracy theories as a reversal of Enlightenment rational discourse, warning democracy may struggle without analytical thinking from reading.
What commenters are saying
Several commenters challenge the article's historical framing, arguing that comparisons across centuries are invalid and that stupidity has always existed. One notes the article ignores how past literate societies tolerated problems like climate change and inequality. Others defend literacy's decline as real, citing current data on falling reading comprehension and college readiness. A split emerges: some view AI as a learning tool for the already skilled, while others argue most use it to avoid friction and cheat, undermining education at scale.