I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. Future generations not only won't learn write, they won't learn to read either. Writing is a technology that "freez

I think this is just the tip of the iceberg. Future generations not only won't learn write, they won't learn to read either. Writing is a technology that "freezes" language and inscribes it onto paper. That was important when you couldn't record speech directly, or broadcast it easily. But now you can just record a video or audio stream and put it on the internet, and that obviates the benefit of transcribing it. Of course there are a lot of benefits of writing relative to audio/video. But are those benefits important compared to the enormous amount of effort that is required to learn to read and write? I also don't think it's wise to demean the skill involved in generating good speeches/podcasts/talk shows compared to good writing. Language skills are language skills. The difference in ability of a strong speaker vs a weak one is dramatic and instantaneously obvious. As the talent pool of good writers shrinks, the benefit of learning to read will shrink as well, leading to fewer readers. And then the incentive to become a good writer will diminish, since there are fewer readers who can consume your work. This will lead to a vicious cycle of reduction in literacy.