AI arrives precisely at the moment when an entire generation loses its ability to read, write, and sustain attention. When the human mind weakens, a substitute mind steps in. If a people can’t interpret text, can’t hold complexity, can’t question, can’t imagine — then the tool thinks for them. And once a tool starts thinking for you, it can start choosing for you.
Most Importantly: AI is not replacing intelligence; it’s replacing the practice that builds intelligence. When literacy drops, discernment drops. When discernment drops, narratives can be implanted. When narratives can be implanted, control becomes effortless. And that is exactly when AI enters the scene.
The bottom line:
A people who cannot read are a people who must be told. A people who cannot write are a people who cannot remember. A people who cannot think deeply are a people who can be guided anywhere.
The most important step to overcoming the new system is to educate our children. And that’s just not happening. That should be the biggest, most momentous effort right now—all our leaders should be talking and thinking about. In the end, it’s the only thing that matters.
I'm really getting tired of this narrative that an entire generation is illiterate. It's a lie skewed by demographics. Most actual American children not only can read and write, but are actually reading in higher amounts than previous generations (hence the rise of E Books as a major form of media). All of the "studies" and "polls" for this type of thing are HEAVILY skewed by illegals, refugees, and inner city blacks/latinos who either literally can't read, or in the case of inner city gang banger types, just don't care enough to bother to learn beyond a certain point because they have to "hustle".
Go to ANYWHERE with a kind of normal population that isn't full of invaders or gangsters and literacy rates are actually the highest they've ever been.
Retired educator here. I didn’t see what you’re suggesting in a “normal” rural, and now less rural and more suburban high school that I taught at for 3 decades. There were a greater number of kids in the 90s that read constantly. Now most kids are engaged in gaming. Now, you have a top tier of students, about 10-15% of the student population that is quite capable of extremely high mathematics and critical thinking and engages in quite a good bit of extra curricular reading on a higher/ collegiate level. You have about 25% that are a little above average at math and enjoy “pleasure reading” of books. The remainder only read what is required of them and what propaganda is presented to them online. Critical thinking about current events does not happen at this level. Good news is that a large portion of kids are waking up faster than their parents are right now. I still have hope.
Well speaking from experience as a Gen Z who grew up in a rural area, I saw the exact opposite. Yeah games are a thing, but people read for fun too. The library was nearly always full.
The argument I always make here basically works like this. MOST people will only consider some form of large novel as "proper reading" when it comes to these types of things. Which is entirely wrong. Light novels, youth novels, E books, etc. If you wanna count it manga, comics, graphic novels etc. as well. Heck, the fact that DnD, Warhammer, etc. are MASSIVE IPs among younger people tells you everything you need to know. Those are TABLE TOP games, meaning reading and critical thought are required to play the game
Likewise, I never understood the stupid prejudice against gaming. I was a straight A student in school and spent most of my late nights gaming with friends. Contrary to what some may say, gaming actually DOES increase your critical thinking thinks. "If I do X, then Y will happen, and boost my score/win the match/beat the boss". And plenty of MASSIVE franchises are so lore heavy that they're basically novels you can play. The witcher, Elder scrolls, fallout, etc. Other games bring out critical thinking and creativity like minecraft, terrria, etc.
Pretty much ALL of these games listed, table top and video, require MASSIVE amounts of reading to learn how to play the game properly, and understand the more advanced mechanics. Heck, in minecraft, redstone engineering is such an advanced topic, there have been people who built literal working computers INSIDE of the game that properly function and allow you play minecraft on a virtual redstone computer INSIDE of minecraft.
Even the bottom of the barrel games like COD will teach you hand-eye coordination and spacial awareness. So this idea that video games make you dumber is an old boomer myth, just like the idea that reading in general is dying off. E books and other forms of digital media consistently see record high sales, mostly driven by younger generations as older people tend to prefer physical copies still.
I know for a fact that reading is still popular given everyone I know my age and younger reads with some form of frequency. Its just stuff they LIKE to read. It may not be some grand novel of "the greats" or some epic poem like beowulf, because being 100% honest, most of that stuff is BORING to 99% of people and we only read it in school BECAUSE we were forced.
The rednecks are gonna read about automechanics, guns, and hunting/tracking. The nerds are gonna read about games, computers, and science, the jocks are gonna read about sports and workouts, etc. etc. People partake of media they find interesting in some way. And most of that same media, schools get butthurt if you partake of outside of the library. I know in all the schools in my county I grew up in, and this is not a joke, teachers would often punish you if you tried to read in class outside of the library because it was "disrespectful", even if you were done with all your work for class. And I know from having been around different places since then, it's pretty similar in a lot of places. Hence why the library was always decently full but everywhere else it looks like they aren't doing anything. Or at home they're just reading on Ipads or tablets in the form of E-books, since no school will allow such a thing due to boomer rules and stereotypes.
Tl;DR: Most of this is boomer myth/stereotype and doesn't accurately represent younger generations actions in private or at home.
you said;
"Its just stuff they LIKE to read. It may not be some grand novel of "the greats" or some epic poem like beowulf, because being 100% honest, most of that stuff is BORING to 99% of people and we only read it in school BECAUSE we were forced."
nope^
the 'stuff they LIKE to read is crap.
And BORING is necessary sometimes...
the classics hold Great Clues for our predicament in this world.
older anons can spot many things that the younger generations would skip right over/they have No experience with the classics.
In reality, they're about all you need for a great education🥸
Look, I PERSONALLY like reading things like beowulf, the great gatsby, etc. So I'm not gonna argue much, but this type of mentality is why younger people get so disconnected from older people on so many topics.
Basically ANYTHING you can learn from reading Moby Dick, you can ALSO learn from reading and learning the lore in Darksouls or Warhammer or the witcher, etc. Calling everything newer crap is why the "Ok Boomer" meme went so far and is now ingrained in society.
Just because YOU don't like it and don't understand it, doesn't mean its that way for everyone and that the messages or lessons conveyed don't still apply in the exact same way as an older classical novel
When logic fails, you can aways blame it all on your parents' generation.
It's the story of human civilization.
I have no idea where you’re from. I can only tell you what I saw in my area. Sad that y’all were punished for reading material outside of the library. That didn’t happen in my school, I was excited that they were reading and even purchased the books my students were reading so that we could talk about the books they read. I hope that you’re right and I’m wrong about the ability to critical think about current events. If our younger generation doesn’t figure it out, then we are doomed.
I dont think this is entirely true. Public schools are struggling everywhere with literacy, attention issues, critical thinking, simple math and science. Overall just plain dumb kids that easily sway whichever direction a pop star, rap star, sports star, or tick tok tells them too. Parents are too blame for being missing, inattentive, enforcing no values or ethics, no religion, no god, or forced to work hard to make ends meet leaving no room in their world for their kids.
Alright this is my last comment on this post because I'm getting tired of arguing with boomers who're stuck in their ways. But this one needs to be said. You people can't have it both ways. People on this board will talk about how stupid, illiterate, incapable of basic math, and lemming like younger generations are, and in THE SAME FREAKING BREATH, they'll make posts about how based the current generation is, how conservative they are, "there's hope for this country yet" type of posts, etc.
You people can't have it both ways, either civilization is doomed because everyone under 30 is a dumbass who can barely breath, or they're freaking normal people who're the same as you with a different preferences in terms of media and what they find interesting/fun.
Both of these things can't be true at the same time, and I'm tired of the boomer mentality a lot of people have about everything when it comes to "the youth".
I don’t think you understand brain plasticity.. look it up. That’s the real problem.