Modern Society Is Becoming Illiterate

Quick Overview

The decline of reading among US teenagers, evidenced by data showing those who read 'almost every day' dropping significantly while those who read 'hardly ever' increase, is linked to the rise of smartphones and short-form digital content, threatening the rational, critical thinking skills essential for a functioning modern democracy, according to James Marriott's analysis.

Key Points: The percentage of US teenagers who read almost every day in their leisure time dropped sharply between 1985 and 2020, while those who read hardly ever increased dramatically, as shown in an FT graphic (00:34). James Marriott argues that this decline in reading correlates with falling global PISA test scores in math, reading, and science since 2012 (00:43). The print-based world fostered orderly, logical reasoning, requiring skills like classifying and inference-making, which are undermined by the short-form, emotionally driven content of smartphones and TikTok (01:25, 02:07). Marriott suggests that modern society risks running on the 'intellectual apparatus of a pre-literate society' if reading skills decline further (02:11). While smartphones provide access to more information, the format privileges emotional appeals, rage, and fear over the rational, structured arguments found in long-form print (04:09, 08:58). Michael Walker notes that even before smartphones, moral panics existed around TV, but the current situation is different because smartphones are constantly accessible and addictive (04:08, 17:20). The solution proposed is not to eliminate technology but to actively cultivate the critical thinking skills traditionally fostered by reading long-form texts (17:14, 18:43).

Context: This discussion features Michael Walker interviewing James Marriott, a Times columnist and Substack writer, about Marriott's recent article, 'The dawn of the post-literate society and the end of civilisation.' The core concept revolves around the idea that the shift from reading long-form print to consuming short-form digital content (like TikTok videos) is eroding the rational and analytical skills necessary for maintaining a healthy democracy and society.