Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
TikTok is endless. Netflix is already starting the next episode. Who's making time to read a book? Today we're chatting with The Atlantic's Rose Horowitch to discuss her story "The End of Reading is Here" and the role technology plays in reducing how much time — and attention — people have to read long pieces of writing. In a world where we're inundated with more text than ever from social media feeds, AI, and group chats, is it really possible that we're taking in less than before?
0:00 Intro
01:04 90 Seconds on The Verge
02:47 The End of Reading Is Here
03:53 Is Reading Really Dying?
05:59 Who Stopped Reading?
06:37 What Counts as Reading?
08:18 Tech and Attention Spans
11:06 Movies and Multitasking
14:29 Education is Morphing Around Short-Form
17:27 College Text Struggles
20:22 Why Reading Matters
21:57 AI Changes Writing
24:54 Can We Fix This?
27:08 What We’re Reading
27:54 Outro
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TikTok is endless. Netflix is already starting the next episode. Who's making time to read a book? Today we're chatting with The Atlantic's Rose Horowitch to discuss her story "The End of Reading is Here" and the role technology plays in reducing how much time — and attention — people have to read long pieces of writing. In a world where we're inundated with more text than ever from social media feeds, AI, and group chats, is it really possible that we're taking in less than before?
0:00 Intro
01:04 90 Seconds on The Verge
02:47 The End of Reading Is Here
03:53 Is Reading Really Dying?
05:59 Who Stopped Reading?
06:37 What Counts as Reading?
08:18 Tech and Attention Spans
11:06 Movies and Multitasking
14:29 Education is Morphing Around Short-Form
17:27 College Text Struggles
20:22 Why Reading Matters
21:57 AI Changes Writing
24:54 Can We Fix This?
27:08 What We’re Reading
27:54 Outro
Subscribe: goo.gl/G5RXGs
Like The Verge on Facebook: goo.gl/2P1aGc
Follow on Twitter: goo.gl/XTWX61
Follow on Instagram: goo.gl/7ZeLv
Watch The Vergecast on YouTube: bit.ly/40RFRkg
The Vergecast Podcast: bit.ly/3WQDexZ
Decoder with Nilay Patel: apple.co/3v29nDc
More about our podcasts: theverge.com/podcasts
Read More: theverge.com
Community guidelines: bit.ly/2D0hlAv
Wallpapers from The Verge: bit.ly/2xQXYJr
Shop our Verge merch store here: bit.ly/4kPCmEc
Subscribe to The Verge: bit.ly/3FT6n5S
If you buy something from a Verge link, Vox Media may receive a commission without exerting any influence on editorial content. For more information about our ethics policy, visit: bit.ly/3ZWTlLs
