Dunant Has Devised an Eight-week Plan to Help Readers Rebuild Their Reading Habit, Likening the Decline in Reading to a Public Health Crisis

Dunant, who admits her own reading has suffered, compares the addictive pull of phones to the rise of cheap cigarettes during World War I, noting that both were initially embraced without understanding their long-term harm. She cites a 2024 OECD report showing literacy declines in most developed countries and James Marriott's forthcoming book, The New Dark Ages, which links poor literacy to societal issues like susceptibility to simplistic slogans. Dunant's program, inspired by a friend's suggestion for a 'couch to 5k' for reading, aims to restore the immersive joy of books, which she says has been eroded by constant digital distractions. "I don’t think it’s a coincidence that smartphones are about the same size and shape as a packet of cigarettes."