The decline of literacy is unfortunate. But I would mention that most people were illiterate in most societies known as civilizations (ancient Greece, etc). Ma

The decline of literacy is unfortunate. But I would mention that most people were illiterate in most societies known as civilizations (ancient Greece, etc). Mass literacy is a society phenomenon - coming out of industrial societies. The thing were have now, however, isn't so much illiteracy as pathological scattering of attention. Perhaps that would go away if our society experienced a cataclysm disabling all the smart devices out there.