The results of an international survey conducted by the OECD on literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills in 31 countries and economies have sparked a heated debate in Western cultural, educational, and media circles. The survey reveals a significant decline in skills compared to the levels achieved ten years ago.
Many analysts see this as evidence that the human brain has reached its limits, with average thinking and problem-solving abilities peaking in the early 2010s before steadily declining. Others warn of the consequences of the rise of smart technologies, which are advancing at a dizzying pace while humanity is losing the essential faculties that have ensured its prosperity on Earth.
According to OECD data, based on a sample of 160 adults aged 000 to 16, only two countries – Finland and Denmark – saw reading skills improve, while significant declines were observed in 65 countries, including South Korea, New Zealand, and Lithuania. The decline was particularly pronounced among adults with less than secondary education.
The United States and Singapore have the largest gaps between college graduates and those with a high school education or less. One in three Americans reads at the level expected of a ten-year-old.
A reading in free fall
These findings align with worrying trends. In the United States, less than half of adults read a book last year. In the United Kingdom, a government survey revealed that 20% of Britons had not read a single book in twelve months. National Literacy Trust indicates that only 35% of young people aged 8 to 18 say they enjoy reading – the lowest rate recorded in 19 years.
Even at the most prestigious universities, graduates admit to never having read a book in its entirety during their studies. Meanwhile, sales of so-called "serious" printed books have plummeted in most countries, although publishers are compensating with the rise of popular genres such as romance, crime fiction, and science fiction.
The rise of podcasts
In this context, podcasts are experiencing unprecedented popularity: a third of Britons listen to at least one podcast per week, and one in two Americans over the age of 12 has listened to one in the past month, spending an average of 5 hours listening.
All of this seems to confirm the idea that we are moving towards "post-literary societies," where the written word is losing its central place in culture, thought, and politics, in favor of images, clichés, and short videos.
Noise, instant emotion, and superficial opinion are gradually replacing rigorous analysis and critical thinking. Moreover, creators of spoken content rarely correct their mistakes, making critical assessment of past contradictions increasingly dependent on written texts.
Some explain this evolution by social factors such as an aging population or the increase in youth immigration. But the most obvious cause remains the explosion in smartphone use, around which a huge industry has been built, based on the dilution of reading time and the continuous production of attractive, often empty, content designed to capture attention at any moment.
Reading – and writing – requires calm, concentration and a certain solitude, things that the omnipresence of screens and social networks do not encourage.
A rapid technological transformation
In less than twenty years, technology has radically transformed the way we access information. Audiences have moved away from complex formats like books or essays to embrace short publications, videos, summaries, and micro-articles, favoring passive consumption and constant context switching.
This shift is causing a cognitive catastrophe, particularly for younger generations. Social media algorithms reinforce existing opinions, limit exposure to diverse ideas, and weaken critical analysis skills, essential for progressing to higher education.
An uncertain future
Of course, books will never rival smartphones in terms of appeal, especially among younger audiences. And the human brain needs time to delve into complex ideas, a time that digital lifestyles don't provide.
So, are post-literary societies here to stay? Are we doomed to lasting intellectual regression?
Experts are divided, although pessimism prevails. Some point to the example of Finland, where a successful education system and a strong reading culture have enabled young people (aged 16-24) to significantly improve their skills despite ubiquitous technology.
Others point to the opportunities offered by oral culture: today, a reader can delve deeper into a book through a podcast, a documentary, or a discussion with the author, thus multiplying the angles of understanding.
Finally, artificial intelligence could represent an opportunity to improve productivity in knowledge-based sectors, if it is well exploited.
But all of these opportunities depend on a solid foundation of literacy skills acquired from an early age. Without them, individuals will remain passive consumers of ready-made content—visual, oral, or AI-generated.
These fundamental skills, which require a collective effort to improve education and socially value the acquisition of knowledge, will be decisive in distinguishing those who master technology from those who become its slaves.
