The Story Are we becoming a post-literate society? - The Sunday Story
Nov 30, 2025
James Marriott, a Times columnist and essayist, dives into the troubling decline of reading in our digital age. He discusses how the 18th-century reading revolution once democratized knowledge, contrasting it with today's drop in literacy. Marriott warns that smartphones and addictive app designs are eroding attention spans and complex thought. He links mass literacy to democracy, suggesting that its decline could threaten coherent public discourse. Additionally, he reflects on potential remedies, pondering if society can reverse this trend.
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How Print Created Modern Thought
- The 18th-century reading revolution democratized knowledge via cheaper books and lending libraries.
- Widespread print enabled modern science, philosophy, and democratic discourse by expanding complex thought.
Why Writing Enables Complex Ideas
- Written texts let authors refine and analyse long, complex arguments that speech alone cannot sustain.
- This capacity underpins advances in philosophy and science, enabling dense works like Kant's Critique of Pure Reason.
Literacy Is Already Falling
- Recent surveys show large falls in reading for pleasure among adults and record-low children's reading.
- OECD data indicates literacy is stagnating or declining across developed countries, reversing centuries of gains.
