From Slate Magazine · Laura Miller · · 1m
Intellectuals Lament Books' Death for Decades
Why reading decline fears are overblown.
In brief
Why reading decline fears are overblown. Smartphones and short-form video are eroding literacy, but solutions for tech addiction remain unaddressed. Originally reported by Slate Magazine.
James Marriott's book
Marriott argues smartphones and short-form video are eroding literacy.
“The End of Reading Is Here”
Historical context
Marriott traces print culture's role in the 18th-century Enlightenment.
Past warnings
Neil Postman warned TV shifted discourse to fragmented information in 1985.
Current concerns
Smartphones and short-form video are making reading less complex.
Historical parallels
Marriott repeats arguments used to champion social media.
Criticism
Marriott's claims are seen as clichés by modern readers.
Solutions needed
Remedies for tech addiction and resisting algorithmic charms are lacking.
The problem
Short-form video reduces complex arguments to superficial skimming.
Democracy at risk
Democracy depends on informed citizens with sustained rational capabilities.
What next
Solutions for tech addiction remain unaddressed.
What matters most
Smartphones and short-form video are eroding literacy, but solutions for tech addiction remain unaddressed.
