James Marriott’s ‘The New Dark Ages’ examines the decline of reading in the digital age
A review published via Hacker News explores the book’s argument that television, smartphones and short-form video are reshaping attention, culture and political debate.
James Marriott’s The New Dark Ages, published this week, argues that declining reading and literacy are linked to the way people now consume media. The book focuses on television, smartphones and short-form platforms including TikTok and YouTube.
A review published via Hacker News places Marriott’s argument in the tradition of Neil Postman’s 1985 book Amusing Ourselves to Death. It says Marriott sees television as an earlier turning point, with smartphones intensifying the shift towards shorter attention spans and less time spent reading for pleasure.
The review traces a broader historical connection between literacy, printing, Protestantism and the Enlightenment. Marriott argues that reading helped expand empathy by allowing people to engage with lives and perspectives beyond their immediate social experience, while also supporting more egalitarian and democratic ideas.
The book cites claims of falling reading comprehension, reduced reading time and simpler cultural output following the spread of commercial television. It also refers to research associated with cable television in Norway that found lower intelligence-test scores among cohorts exposed to longer periods of coverage. The review does not provide full methodological details for the studies it cites.
Marriott extends the argument to contemporary culture and politics, suggesting that reduced reading may weaken innovation, empathy and democratic debate. The review points to increasingly repetitive music and less complex television dialogue, as well as shorter and less literary political discourse.
The claims remain those of a book and its reviewer rather than an independent investigation establishing causation. The review acknowledges that explanations for changes in attention, literacy and political culture are contested, but presents Marriott’s central warning: a society that reads less may also lose some of the habits needed for sustained thought and effective democratic discussion.
