I half agree, half don't agree with this article.
I think it's great to get children reading. My own son loves reading, partly because we made the effort to read to him and he is now exceeding the level for reading at school that he needs to be at.
It does seem to be rarer to see children reading in public, and I've had a few comments off strangers when they've seen my son reading when we've been on a train for example.
At the same time I really dislike this 'screens bad/books good' stance that people are taking these days.
My son had access to an ipad from a young age and I found it helpful and useful. Firstly, it gave me a break from time to time when I needed to get something done. Secondly, it helped me to learn about him and his interests. When he was allowed to pick from a selection of child friendly videos he chose things that were maths related and on other subjects that I probably wouldn't have picked for him. That in turn helped me to give him opportunities to explore his interests that I wouldn't have thought of. Another plus side is that he's pretty good at using a computer now which is a vital skill for the modern world.
Not all books are holy or improving, some kids books are complete shite. He likes some books that are utter dross, I don't see how they are any better for him then a dross cartoon on the TV. Similarly there are some brilliant TV programmes and content online.