Why Kids Aren't Reading Anymore—and What It Means for All of Us
Doomscrolling Ourselves to Death
A parent's anxiety about children's media diets leads to a deep dive into James Marriott's new book, The New Dark Ages, which argues that the decline of reading and rise of screens—from television to smartphones—are eroding literacy, empathy, and democratic discourse. Drawing on historical parallels and data like Norway's cable TV experiment, Marriott paints a disturbing picture of a post-literate society, where attention spans shrink and culture simplifies.
I have shoved my smartphone behind wardrobes and under beds. I have shut it up in cupboards. I have shoved in into the stale and musty depths of laundry baskets.