Writing is a rare technology. In fact, historians believe it was independently invented by just four cultures in ancient history: MesopotamiaA historical region of the Middle East, mostly centred on modern-day Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Syria and Turkey. The name "Mesopotamia" in Greek means "between rivers" because of the Tigris and Euphrates that run through it., Egypt, China, and the MayansA complex civilisation that lived in modern day Central America from around 2000 BC. Eventually ruined by famine and conflict, the last Maya city was conquered by Spain in 1697.. Today, almost every writing system in the world descends from Egyptian hieroglyphsThe ancient Egyptian writing system developed from pictograms to abstract shapes. It is the ancestral writing of most modern scripts, including English, Russian and Arabic.  or Chinese characters.¹

And even in civilisations that had writing, the vast majority of people remained illiterateBeing unable to read or write. for most of history. In 1800, just 12% of the planet could read. Today only 14% cannot.² For historians, this is nothing short of a miracle.

However, literacyThe ability to read and write. skills are now falling at an alarming rate across the developed world. Some 20% of UK adults have reading skills at or below the level expected of a 10-year-old.³ In the US, more than half the population is below Level 3 literacy, considered the baseline for everyday life.⁴

The cause? Experts believe it is a decline in reading for pleasure. More than a third of adults in the UK say they no longer read for pleasure, while 15% report they have never done so.⁵

This saddens many historians. In the Middle AgesThe Middle Ages was the period in European history that came between ancient and modern times. It lasted from about 500 to about 1500., books were a very rare commodity, because they all had to be written out by hand.

The invention of the printing pressThe first movable type printing press was built in Germany by Johannes Gutenberg. The first major printed work was the Gutenberg Bible.  changed all this. Now books could be mass-produced, bringing knowledge and ideas into the hands of a much broader swathe of the population.

Over time, this gave rise to a culture of autodidacticismThe practice of self-learning, without the help of teachers. . Working-class people read frequently, often outdoing the eliteThe richest, most powerful, best-educated or best-trained members of society. in the breadth of their knowledge.

The collapse of reading is also the death of a culture that prized education above all else.

And scientists fear that the collapse of reading masks a deeper problem. There are two reasons, they claim, why people are reading less.

The first is the erosion of attention spans thanks to social media. The second is the pace of everyday life, which leaves people exhausted and depressed.

Some experts think the decline of reading is really a symptom of a profoundly sick society. This becomes a vicious cycle, since reading itself improves quality of life and reduces stress.

Others counter that there is no point in mourning the loss of the book. The means by which we learn and tell stories has always changed. Perhaps, they say, we are simply entering a new phase of cultural life.

Could we live without books?

Yes: Most of humanity has only had access to books for around a century. Before that they told stories and swapped important information in a variety of other ways. The book is simply outdated.

No: Books are more than just a way of passing the time. They give us access to the universal human condition, make us wiser and more understanding, and help us keep perspective on our own lives.

Or... There is no reason why books should exist forever, if something makes them obsolete. But the loss of reading points to something more fundamental: a society that is sick, tired, and on the brink of collapse.

Mesopotamia - A historical region of the Middle East, mostly centred on modern-day Iraq, Kuwait and parts of Syria and Turkey. The name "Mesopotamia" in Greek means "between rivers" because of the Tigris and Euphrates that run through it.

Mayans - A complex civilisation that lived in modern day Central America from around 2000 BC. Eventually ruined by famine and conflict, the last Maya city was conquered by Spain in 1697.

Hieroglyphs - The ancient Egyptian writing system developed from pictograms to abstract shapes. It is the ancestral writing of most modern scripts, including English, Russian and Arabic. 

Illiterate - Being unable to read or write.

Literacy - The ability to read and write.

Middle Ages - The Middle Ages was the period in European history that came between ancient and modern times. It lasted from about 500 to about 1500.

Printing press - The first movable type printing press was built in Germany by Johannes Gutenberg. The first major printed work was the Gutenberg Bible. 

Autodidacticism - The practice of self-learning, without the help of teachers.

Elite - The richest, most powerful, best-educated or best-trained members of society.