It is, in fact, the truth that some folks decried the writing down of traditional oral tales because it took away the mental challenge of memorization. "Bards will lose respect, and children's minds will grow weak." I remember that when people make analogous techno-cultural criticisms today.
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Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal
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Further to your point, I am still amused by airborne feces. Modern people decry that as the death of culture :).