The article, written by a novelist and BBC broadcaster, argues that smartphones have eroded the sustained attention needed for reading books, even among people who once read voraciously. Prompted by a conversation with a doctor friend who wished for a "couch to 5k"-style programme to rebuild the habit, the author explores why this decline matters: it feeds what she calls a public health crisis of intellectual health, leaving people less able to follow complex arguments and more susceptible to slogans and gossip over reasoned debate.

The piece cites evidence of the problem, including university students reportedly struggling to read a whole book and a 2024 OECD report finding literacy has declined or stagnated across most developed countries. It also draws on James Marriott's forthcoming book The New Dark Ages, and likens smartphone use to the mass uptake of cheap cigarettes in the twentieth century, suggesting society is only now beginning to grasp the harm. The author proposes an eight-week scheme to help readers rebuild their concentration and return to books.