[June 29, 2026] Shocking headlines in America have, for years, claimed that 40% of kids can’t read. That is not true, but what is really happening is nearly as bad. This misconception starts with the 40% figure from annual tests given to fourth graders, but this means they can’t read at what is called a “basic level.” What that means is that we have a large group of people who struggle with literacy into adulthood, and that has created a class divide, a new literacy class divide.
Dr. Shanté, an English Professor, is an expert on reading and runs a social media platform where she regularly analyzes the impact of low reading proficiency in the American population. One of her main themes is that “literacy is fast becoming a class divide.” And she is specific here, “not formal education, literacy.”
“There are so many people that just don’t understand nuance, satire, entendre, or irony.”
She notes that illiteracy “cripples your ability to see the world and the room.” This is exactly right. I first saw young men entering the military as soldiers who lacked basic reading ability, despite having passed the military’s entrance exams.
“The difference between people who regularly wrestle with complex ideas vs people who primarily consume clickbait content is vast.”
I think one of her more important messages is the meaning of “literacy.” To her, it doesn’t mean “Can you read?” To her, literacy means, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” It means “Do you understand the situation that’s playing out in front of you; the context, the subtext, the complexities of the situation in front of you, and interpret the meaning behind the meaning?”
The number of people who aren’t literate is increasing. And that is a huge problem because the number of people who can read the situation, who can read the room, who can read the politics of the dynamics at play, versus those who can’t, is creating a world of those who can succeed and those who cannot.
She says that, due to the increased availability of technology, many folks take the easy road and “outsource their ability to interpret the situation to somebody else.” If someone can’t interpret it themselves, then they are at the mercy of others who can.
Dr. Shanté compares this to real-life situations where many cannot understand the ramifications of applying for a mortgage, what’s in a healthcare directive, or what tax changes are on the ballot in their community. When these folks don’t know what’s in front of them, don’t understand the stakes and the consequences, and the players involved, then you are at the mercy of somebody else reading it.
What she is seeing is a growing number of people who are unable to develop an informed perspective. They are developing talking points based on what someone else said, rather than on their own analysis and independent thinking. These folks have given up their own power to shape policy or vote on policies that impact large numbers of people; they simply don’t understand what’s right in front of them. That’s dangerous.
“We have more access to information than ever before. And, yet, information is not knowledge.”
It is now easy to manipulate your emotions, and intentionally. People who cannot think for themselves and who lack basic emotional control are very easy to manipulate and control. Dr. Shanté illustrates by discussing how certain groups of people are influenced in their voting patterns.
And when trying to engage these people in a conversation with facts and evidence, they don’t want to hear about it. They respond with anger and hostility. Once they latch onto a set of values and onto certain base beliefs, to simple ideologies – many with zero foundation – they cannot be swayed with any logic or facts.
Their minds are taken over by dumbness.
One of her themes here is that the rich do not allow their families to be manipulated by such trivialities and ignorance. They are the ones in power, of money, of commerce, of political landscapes, of history, of art and philosophy, and other languages. They are learning how to use the system to their advantage.
“Meanwhile, a large swatch of the population is just scrolling and clicking and commenting and commenting and clicking and scrolling.”
There are many who have become so addicted and so dependent on technology to establish their reality that it’s hard to pull them out of it, and to reason with them.
“We now have two groups. One group is being raised in the language of influence, and the other one is being groomed in the language of outrage.”
And now we see why she believes that literacy is the new class divide. And, it’s getting worse. Interesting.
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I think there is something to this argument by Dr. Shante. Good highlight, Gen. S.
This is rightfully an “interesting” idea and I do see the merit in her argument that many young folks today (and old to the fair) are outsourcing their thinking to others and are therefore easxily manipulated. To me, that explains the black population; besides the lower IQ level which makes this more prone. But a better culture for blacks could overcome the problem. I don’t see this changing anytime soon. Maybe more folks like Dr. Shante speaking out might make a difference.
Agree on literacy’s role in manipulation and class divide. Avoid race/IQ generalizations—focus on individual responsibility, culture, education, and stoic self-reliance for all. Data shows literacy gaps tied more to family structure and habits than immutable traits. Promote universal critical thinking.
….. Idiot Savant, but it is clearly and unequivocally tied to race and IQ. Why ignore the obvious? 💯