Have you heard of #BookTok? It is a sub-community within TikTok specifically for readers and book lovers. It features short videos in which users talk about their favourite books, recommend titles, authors, and genres, and theatrically make inside jokes about literature. Additionally, #Booktokers discuss recently released books and promote novels they’ve read and either really enjoyed or didn’t appreciate all that much.

There have been methods for reading books for as long as there have been books. Occasionally, individuals look for a community of like minds to share the experience with. Communities for readers online have existed for a while. Launched in 2007, Goodreads is a social cataloguing platform that allows users to follow friends and authors, receive book suggestions, and read user-submitted reviews. Other communities may be found on websites like BookTube and Bookstagram. However, unlike BookTok, these websites appear to have yet to draw the interest of publishers, readers, and merchants.

BookTok’s meteoric rise can be traced back to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As people worldwide sought new forms of entertainment and connection, TikTok became a creative outlet for many, including book “enthusiasts”.

Young women comprise most BookTok authors, viewers, and creators. Most of the comments under the hashtag are from young ladies who rave about what they just read. It has been rare for young women to be respected as readers or critics. However, things are shifting. The most popular books on BookTok are in the romance, fantasy, and hybrid genre known as “romancy.”

BookTok is more than just a passing craze; it’s evidence of how our interactions with books and reading have changed in the digital age. It has ushered in a new era of reading culture.

By doing this, BookTok has demonstrated how the love of a good narrative is universal and continues to flourish in the hectic world of social media. However, this ultimately results in books losing their validity as works of art more closely resembling manufactured goods.

One is that BookTok’s emphasis now appears to be more on the identity of being a reader than on reading itself. You would suppose that becoming a reader comes before being called a “reader”; however, social media is well known for facilitating the development of appearance without content.

Individuals can pose as readers by donning a variety of markers; nevertheless, none of them are genuinely “reading the book,” as that cannot be adequately captured in a 60-second film. The emphasis now switches to aesthetics, including the ethereal Pinterest videos and the acquisition and reading of an enormous number of books—all labelled with an abundance of sticky tabs to guarantee that viewers are viewing the book. Has reading become more about the aesthetic and the commodities associated with it?

In the end, BookTok is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it has created a community that celebrates literature. On the other hand, it raises questions about the commodification of books and the superficiality that can arise when reading becomes more about appearances than the act itself. As with any cultural shift, the impact of BookTok will likely continue to evolve.

Is BookTok a positive force for literature, or does it risk turning books into mere trends? Yes/No, and why?

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