The age of slop & the death of reading - James Marriott, Ed West & Kathleen Stock
UnHerd
@unherdAbout
As you may have guessed from our strange spelling, UnHerd aims to do two things: to push back against the herd mentality with new and bold thinking, and to provide a platform for otherwise unheard ideas, people and places. We think this approach is more needed than ever. Societies across the West are divided and stuck, and the established media is struggling to make sense of what’s happening. The governing ideologies of the past generation are too often either unquestioningly defended or rejected wholesale. It’s easy and safe to be in one or other of these two camps – defensive liberal or angry reactionary - but UnHerd is trying to do something different, and harder. We want to be bold enough to identify those things that have been lost, as well as gained, by the liberal world order of the past thirty years; but we strive to be always thoughtful rather than divisive. Welcome to UnHerd. We hope you find something that makes you think again. https://linktr.ee/unherdtv
Video Description
📰 Subscribe to UnHerd today at: https://bit.ly/3Qdkd5y With the rise of accessible AI and the total ubiquity of smartphones, could the West be entering a post-literate age? And what role might old-school books have in this brave new world? Substack’s Ed West, The Times’ James Marriott and UnHerd’s Kathleen Stock come together to discuss the twilight of literary culture and the dark dawn of scrolling culture. Watch the whole event on the UnHerd website: https://unherd.com/watch-listen/the-slop-fication-of-literature/ Listen to the podcast: https://plnk.to/unherd?to=page Advertise on UnHerd @ [email protected] Follow UnHerd on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/unherd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/unherd/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unherd/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@unherdtv //TIMECODES// 00:00 - 00:30 -- Intro 00:30 - 01:36 – The Death of Reading & Rise of "Slop" 01:36 - 04:49 – Literacy, IQ Drops & The Post-Literary Society 04:49 - 09:28 – Lost Imagination, Literal Thinking & Social Media’s Impact 09:28 - 11:40 – From Communal TV to Streaming Silos 11:40 - 15:00 – Books vs. Screens: What Do We Lose? 15:00 - 16:55 – How Politics Changes When Literacy Fades 16:55 - 19:16 – Democracy, Distraction, and the Print Culture Crisis 19:16 - 22:12 – Smartphones, Short-Form Video & Brain Rot 22:12 - 25:00 – Decline of Attention Spans & Creativity 25:00 - 28:41 – Elite Reading, Cultural Transformation & The Future #UnHerd #AISlop #Literature
Upgrade Your Everyday
AI-recommended products based on this video
Kasa Smart Outdoor Smart Plug by TP-Link (KP400) - Smart WiFi Outlet with 2 Sockets, IP64 Waterproof, Works with Alexa and Google Home, 2.4GHz WiFi Required, No Hub Required, Sunset & Sunrise Offset
Monster Wireless Earbuds Open Ear AC311, Bluetooth 5.4 Open Ear Headphones, Up to 30 Hours Playtimes Bluetooth Ear Earphones with Stereo Sound, Touch Control and IPX5 Waterproof Open Ear Buds
Wireless Earbuds, Sports Bluetooth Headphones, 80Hrs Playtime Ear Buds with LED Power Display, Noise Canceling Headset, IPX7 Waterproof Earphones for Workout/Running Z(Black)
Monster Wireless Earbuds, Bluetooth 5.4 in Ear Stereo Headphones, Built-in Mic for Crystal Clear Call, 32H Playtime, Comfortable Fit, Fast Charging, Waterproof Earphones for Sports, Black
Wireless Earbuds, Sports Bluetooth Headphones, 80Hrs Playtime Ear Buds with LED Power Display, Noise Canceling Headset, IPX7 Waterproof Earphones for Workout/Running Z(Black)
Brita Stainless Steel Premium Filtering Water Bottle, BPA-Free, Reusable, Insulated, Replaces 300 Plastic Water Bottles, Filter Lasts 2 Months or 40 Gallons, Includes 1 Filter, Carbon - 20 oz.
Simple Modern Filtered Water Bottle | Insulated Stainless-Steel Carbon Filter Travel Water Bottles | Reusable for Clean Drinking Water On The Go | 24oz, Sea Glass Sage
FITVII Health & Fitness Tracker (Answer/Make Calls), Smart Watch with 24/7 Heart Rate and Blood Pressure, Sleep Tracking Monitor, 120+ Sport Mode Activity Tracker
AYATAHA AYATAHA Smart Watch for Kids, Smartwatch Fitness Tracker for Boys Girls, Children's Activity Watch 37 Sports Modes SMS Notification, HD Full Touchscreen IP67 Waterproof, Blue
Iaret Iaret Smart Watch for Women, 1.83" HD Fitness Tracker with 4 Bands, Answer/Make Calls, Heart Rate/Sleep/SpO2/Step Tracking, 100+ Sport Modes, Android/iPhone Compatible Gift (Rose Gold)
Smart Watch for Men Women 1.8" Fitness Tracker, Bluetooth Call, DIY Dial, Heart Rate Sleep Blood Oxygen Monitor, 100+ Sports Modes, IP68 Waterproof Smartwatch for Android iPhone, Alexa Built-in
Hand Warmers 2 Pack, 14000mAh Rechargeable Hand Warmers, Electric Hand Warmer Reusable, Portable Power Bank USB Hand Warmers 4 Levels 8 Heating, Gifts for Raynauds Ski Golf Camping
Hand Warmers Rechargeable, 10000mAh Electric Heated Gloves Power Bank Portable Graphene Handwarmers Pouch with 3 Levels & Double-Sided Heating for Hunting Camping Golf Xmas Gifts for Women Men Kids
2Pack Rechargeable Hand Warmer, 8000mAh Electric Hand Warmer Power Bank, Portable USB-C Hand Warmer for Pocket, Reusable Hand Warmer Up to 8 hrs Each, Warm Gift for Men Women, for Hunting, Camping
GTOCE Portable Charger,40000mAh Power Bank with 22.5W Fast Charging LED Digital Display Battery Pack with 6 Outputs 2 Inputs, Type C Powerbank Portable Charger for iPhone 16 pro Samsung AirPods,Black
Monster Sleep Ear200, Wireless in-Ear Headphones, Bluetooth 6.0 Sleep Headphones, with ANC Active Noise Cancellation Designed for Side Sleepers, 30 Hours of bass Stereo Sound.
Monster Sleep Ear100 Ear Buds, Sleep Earbuds with Stereo Sound, Design for Side Sleeper, 32H Playtime, Bluetooth 6.0, ENC Noise Cancelling, IPX6 Waterproof Mini Headphones, White
Monster Sleep Ear100 Ear Buds, Sleep Earbuds with Stereo Sound, Design for Side Sleeper, 32H Playtime, Bluetooth 6.0, ENC Noise Cancelling, IPX6 Waterproof Mini Headphones, Black
Monster Sleep Ear100 Ear Buds, Sleep Earbuds with Stereo Sound, Design for Side Sleeper, 32H Playtime, Bluetooth 6.0, ENC Noise Cancelling, IPX6 Waterproof Mini Headphones, Black
Hydroponics Growing System Indoor Garden - Herb Garden with Grow Light, 15 Pods Stainless Steel Indoor Garden Kit, Auto Timer, Gardening Gift for All Ages
Umbra Triflora Hanging Planter for Window, Indoor Herb Garden, Set of 5, White/Black
Large Hydroponics Growing System 14 Pods, Indoor Herb Garden with LED Grow Light, 5L Water Tank, Hydroponic Grow Kit with 3 Auto-Timers, Rotatable Light Panel and Child Lock for Home School Gardening
Hanging Planter Hanging Plant Holder, 6 Inch 4 Indoor Plant Pots, Wall/Window Plant Hanger Indoor Herb Garden
slopehill Multi Hair Stylers & Hair Straightener - 2 in 1 Wet to Dry Air Straightener and Hair Dryer Combo with High Speed Air + Rapid Heat-Up + Customizable Temperature(Pink)
Hi.FANCY Portable Laptop Stand with Dual Cooling Fans for 14-17inch Laptops, Grey, 23.5 x 25.9 x 0.95cm
Laptop Stand for Desk, Adjustable Laptop Riser ABS+Silicone Foldable Portable Laptop Holder, Ventilated Cooling Notebook Stand for 10-15.6” Laptops,Tablet-Black
JETech 5 in 1 Case for Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 5G with 2-Pack Each Tempered Glass Screen Protector and Camera Lens Protector, Non-Yellowing Shockproof Bumper Phone Cover (Clear)
TAURI for iPhone 17 Pro Max Case 6.9" with 1-Pack Screen Protector, Camera Lens Full Protection, Military-Grade Protection, Shockproof Transparent Back Bumper Phone Cover - Clear Global Recycled Standard
TAURI for iPhone 17 Pro Case 6.3" with 1-Pack Screen Protector, Camera Lens Full Protection, Military-Grade Protection, Shockproof Transparent Back Bumper Phone Cover - Clear Global Recycled Standard
JOINPAYA 1Set Rechargeable Hand Warmer Hand Heater for Winter Heating Levels Compact
Shakven Rechargeable Hand Warmer | Cute Comfortable Portable Hand Warmers,Ergonomic Adjustable Energy-Efficient Small Heater for Travel, Outdoor, Winter
OCOOPA IP45 Waterproof Hand Warmer Rechargeable, Up to 15hrs Heat,10000mAh Durable Quick Charge Electric Hand Heater, PD Compatible, 3 Levels for Outdoors, Heavy Duty, H01-PD PRO
