Like any social media, some positives and negatives come with the use of TikTok, the addictive app we all are so familiar with. TikTok is home to many sub-communities in which creators produce different niche content. BookTok is an example of one of these sub-communities. It rose to popularity in 2020 and holds a predominately female audience. Over the past 4 years, over 37 million videos have been posted under #BookTok, which have accumulated over 200 billion views. As a consumer of BookTok and an avid reader, I love this community but also have noticed its flaws.
Positives
The Magic of Reading
As mentioned above, I am an avid reader (which I think the overflowing bookshelves in my bedroom can attest to). Reading has brought me an immense amount of joy throughout my life. When it comes to platforms like BookTok, there are thousands of videos that depict the joy that reading brings to many individuals. As BookTok has grown, more and more people have been able to see just how magical reading is and find the joy associated with storytelling.
Mental Health
Thanks to BookTok, more people have taken up reading as a hobby, which actually has underlying benefits for our mental health. It has been seen that regular readers get better sleep, are less stressed, have higher self-esteem, and have lower rates of depression. It’s not a bad deal for a hobby so magical.
A sense of Community
At its beginning, BookTok creators primarily attracted their young audience by posting book recommendations based on book aesthetics. This would be things like showing songs, quotes, or a collage of photos that match the vibe of the book.
Below is an example of one of these types of videos about my favorite duology, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo:
With videos like this, the book girlies can see that so many other people like the same things they do. For a different example, maybe someone posts a video about their favorite book, saying it reminds them of the song, “The Lucky One,” by Taylor Swift (*cough cough* The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo *cough cough*). If you like Taylor Swift and reading, then you realize there is a whole community of people who also enjoy Taylor Swift and reading. This can remind anyone that they truly have a place in this world.
Moreover, BookTok has given people a place to discuss and bond over their current reads, favorite stories, and books they plan to read in the future. For a lot of my childhood, I never had anyone to talk about my hobby of reading with, as many girls my age didn’t enjoy it as I did. This has since changed, and seeing such videos and reading such comments about the books I would like to read or have read makes me so excited!
Book Sale Increase
Since BookTok, there has been a noticeable increase in book sales. So much so that book retailers like Barnes and Noble have sections dedicated to books seen on TikTok, and Amazon saw a 381% increase in interest in print books in 2023. It’s so exciting that written work has not lost its appeal in the age of technology.
Negatives
Comparison
There is a big space for comparing yourself to others when it comes to social media in general. Unfortunately, this does not stop when it comes to BookTok. Creators will share how they read hundreds of books in a year, and it becomes competitive for other BookTokers as well as us regulars in the comment section. As readers, it’s important to remember that most people’s lives do not revolve around reading. It is a hobby and is supposed to be fun! No matter how much or how little you read, as long as you enjoy it, then you’re a reader!
Tropification of literature
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good enemies-to-lovers trope, but sometimes it can be bothersome when creators on BookTok or book marketers only recommend books or encourage authors to base their stories around tropes. As a girl who falls in love with characters, worlds, and stories, I wholeheartedly believe that tropes are just an addition to the adventure of reading a book and shouldn’t always be the main focus. I would like to see more recommendations based on other qualities of a novel, but tropes are what is selling at the moment, so I don’t see this changing anytime soon.
Few Authors get attention
On BookTok, it is very common to see that only a few authors and novels get mainstream popularity and discussion. This is normal, and many of these stories do deserve the praise they get, but I also believe that it is so important to discuss and read diverse literature through the lenses of a variety of authors like POC and/or LGBTQIA+ authors. It allows us readers to view the world from different scopes.
Final thoughts
BookTok will continue to be a staple on my ‘For You’ page for the foreseeable future because I enjoy it! I think there are more positives to Booktok than negatives. Each person has different opinions on what they enjoy reading and the content they enjoy watching, which is a good thing. I hope that BookTok continues to grow and encourage more people to read. Just remember, like with any content we consume, allow it to uplift you, and don’t allow its negative aspects to persuade your opinions.