GoKawiilJames Marriott's 'The New Dark Ages' warns of collapsing literacy and attention spans
Times columnist James Marriott has expanded his viral essay on declining reading habits into a new book, 'The New Dark Ages,' published this week. The reviewer, a fellow journalist and friend of Marriott's, describes it as an entertaining but troubling 50,000-word argument about how digital media, especially YouTube, is reshaping childhood attention and literacy for the worse.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The piece captures a growing cultural anxiety among parents and commentators that short-form video content is displacing reading and eroding sustained attention in young people, particularly teenage boys. Marriott's book turns anecdotal parental worry into a broader cultural diagnosis, feeding into wider debates about tech's effect on cognition and education that could influence policy and parenting choices.
- James Marriott's new book 'The New Dark Ages' expands on his viral essay about declining literacy.
- The book argues that digital media, especially YouTube content, is eroding attention spans and reading habits in children.
- The reviewer, a friend of Marriott's, calls the book entertaining and coherent despite its bleak implications.
Source: edwest.co.uk — Ed West, 2026-09-06
Published there as: “Doomscrolling Ourselves to Death”
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