Just one in three Britons aged between eight and 18 enjoy reading in their free time — a 36 per cent decrease in reading since the survey began in 2005. When people stop reading, they stop being able to read. At stake here is nothing less than the fate of humanity, given the intimate connection between the written word and civilisation itself. At first, the written word seemed to do remarkably well in the internet age. If we gradually cease to base our social and political organisation on the written word, it follows that there will be three consequences.
