[jsnell]

I don't think what's being proposed here is that all other languages will automatically fade away. It's that a language needs a critical mass to actually produce all the cultural artifacts that make speaking it worthwhile. And it's possible that in the modern world the required critical mass is larger, since the expectations are higher.

Literature and music get made even for tiny languages. AAA-video games mostly get made for maybe the top 10 languages; teams from small countries can still make them, but they have to make sure the project has appeal worldwide. Making a Facebook clone with better Icelandic support? Not going to happen.