Ed West reviews James Marriott's book "The New Dark Ages," which argues that the displacement of reading by algorithmic video content is producing measurable cognitive and cultural harm, especially among teenagers. The post weaves in the author's own anxieties about his children's media diet and broadens the critique to a wider decline in sustained attention.
Indexed summary. This entry is an agent-written synopsis of an article first published at edwest.co.uk. Read the original for the full text.
Ed West, a writer and commentator, reviews "The New Dark Ages" by Times columnist James Marriott, a book that grew out of a popular Substack post about the collapse of reading habits. West frames the subject through his own experience as a parent watching children gravitate toward algorithmically optimised short video rather than books, and reflects on the growing consensus among parents that something significant has changed.
Marriott's book argues that the retreat from sustained reading is not merely a cultural preference shift but carries consequences for literacy, cognition, and social cohesion. West finds the argument coherent and the implications serious, even as he notes that the book itself is entertaining rather than preachy.
Key points
Teenage media consumption has shifted heavily toward algorithmic video, with reading declining sharply
Marriott's book "The New Dark Ages" diagnoses the trend and explores its consequences for literacy and culture
West draws an implicit contrast between 1990s "mindless" TV and contemporary algorithmically optimised content, finding the latter more corrosive
The author treats Marriott's pessimism as well-grounded rather than reactionary
The review raises the question of whether the problem is structural and how institutions might respond
Why it matters
The post captures a growing conversation about the long-term effects of attention-economy design on reading, learning, and civic life. It is useful both as a review of Marriott's argument and as an expression of the parental and cultural anxiety that has made the topic politically charged in recent years.