Filippo de Strata feared that the works of Ovid might crowd out the Bible. We fear that the mindless lists, quizzes, memes, and celebrity gossip that proliferate on social media might crowd out thoughtful analyses of the sort you see in The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal. Every generation thinks that its successor’s lazy habits of mind will bring on a cultural and intellectual decline. It may be a stodgy lament that has been repeated for thousands of years, but it’s our turn now, and we’re not going to miss the opportunity to grumble.
