Yes, but...

There is a bit of arrogance in the assumption "literate thinking is the best kind of thinking". Knowledge disseminates through different channels today.

The "non-reading kids of today" are, among other things, having far less unprotected sex, consuming less alcohol and tobacco (although more amphetamines), taking less unnecessary risks (driving, firearms, etc), and being more tolerant of differences in ethnicity, gender, etc.

This article is an example of these alternative channels. Fifty years ago, it was in Postman's book ("Amusing Ourselves to Death", excellent reading b.t.w.). Today, it is read by many people around the world without even being printed and sold in bookstores. Besides, it is a collective experience: its arguments don't just reach individual minds, they also reverberate in this thread.

This post is basically a rehash of Postman's book. I strongly recommend that you read that book. It is a much more solid explanation, although the book predates smartphones by decades.