Dawn: Digital technologies may harm reading and public debate
In Pakistan, Dawn published a column about books whose authors warn about the negative impact of smartphones, social media and digital platforms on reading, attention and public debate. The article notes that communication technologies have created new opportunities, but may also have serious unintended consequences.
Smartphones and reading
British journalist James Marriott argues in his book The New Dark Ages: The End of Reading and the Dawn of a Post-Literate Society that screen culture is displacing the culture of the printed word. In his view, books help organize and make sense of knowledge, while also developing the ability to argue and reason.
Marriott considers smartphones to be the main reason for the decline in reading, as they constantly distract users with a large amount of content. He links the spread of screens to fragmented attention, the rapid spread of conspiracy theories and false ideas, as well as growing emotionality in political communication. In his assessment, public debate is increasingly focused on personalities and emotional appeals rather than rational arguments.
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Criticism of social media
Nicholas Carr, in his book Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart, also analyzes the impact of smartphones, the internet, social media and artificial intelligence on people and societies. He argues that the rapid and intensive flow of information encourages people to rely on intuitive judgments and biases, limiting the possibility of deeper analysis.
Carr criticizes social media and technology companies for mechanisms that, in his view, amplify hostility and false information. He also draws attention to the role of algorithms and content processed to stimulate not only audience engagement, but also addiction.
Economist Noreena Hertz, in her book The Lonely Century, linked social media and smartphones to rising loneliness, online aggression and people remaining in isolated digital bubbles. She called for recognizing the risks of technological dependence and making platforms more accountable for their impact.
