Thinking as a luxury good: A warning for the digital age

British writer Mary Harrington warns that the ability to think deeply is at risk of becoming a privilege in the digital age. Drawing on her own education and recent research, she links declining literacy and attention spans to the rise of smartphones and a “post-literate” culture. Her analysis suggests this shift could create a widening cognitive gap, with serious implications for social equality, democratic health, and the preservation of reflective, reasoned thought. | Photo: The Protopia Lab