Reading-culture has always been subject for the constant change that happens around us and in society. From the stone-ages where you’d have to spend hours engraving symbols and runes into stones to tell what you’d like. Throughout the 1800s, being able to read, and literacy comprehension increased, but the books were still intended for the upper class. Now, everyone has the right – the human right – to learn how to read and write. And along with this, also comes books intended for all audiences and demographics. It has never been easier to find a book you’d like. You just open TikTok, search “book”, and let the algorithm decide between the millions of posts that recommends something to you. It’s easier to find a book to read, than a hair tie in your room; has reading become too available?
Don’t get me wrong. I love books, I love booktok, and i definitely love the availability of books for anyone and everyone. But after TikTok were introduced to the book-world, and the book-community, something changed. I am not sure if it’s great, or if it’s a certain sign of humanity’s inevitable destruction.
TikToks booktok segment has changed the way we read in a ton of different ways – and not all of them are bad! Through booktok, millions of people have found back to, or found, reading. TikTok provides a place for everyone interested in books, where you can talk about, and discuss what you’re reading.
I love that part of TikTok. It feels like a community, where everyone has a place. It’s a book club for people without one in real life. I know that I enjoy my reading experience a whole lot more when there is someone to talk about the books I read with. And TikTok is exactly that. Most of my friends don’t read a lot, so after I finish a book, I open TikTok and search for it. As a result, thousands of videos of people reading the same book pops up, and I get to see what their opinions and takes are. TikTok is the biggest book club in the world, and I am grateful for the community and reading joy that comes (to a whole new generation, mind you) from the platform.
But does teenagers spend more time looking at books on TikTok, rather than actually reading them?
The short answer is: probably. Influencers talking about books often have rooms, or shelves upon shelves with hundreds (or thousands) of books. They probably read a lot of them, but I am certain that a lot of the books they like to display are only there to collect dust.
I can’t say this sitting on a big horse. I am just the same. Some of the books in my bookshelves haven’t been opened since I first bought them three years ago. I look at my bookshelf. I look at all of the books there that I am excited to read, but just haven’t read, and promise myself that I should. Just as soon as the new delivery of books arrives in the post, or just after that trip where I plan to buy a ton of books (because they are basically free once you’re on vacation, and can consider them necessary pieces of culture and souvenirs that I’ll treasure forever). I’m even reading this at the same time as I’m constantly checking for updates on the shipping of a signed copy of Great Big Beautiful Life from England. (Yes, that was a flex, and yes, I am an Emily Henry stan).
Reading books has turned into fast fashion. Buying books, and owning books are just as important (or more?) as reading them.
Needless to say, this is a dangerous development that impacts the environment as well as our wallets. Promoting an over-consumption of books (or anything) will never be a good sign.
(Except for the publishing industry, that is. I have a feeling they’re thriving)
Reading books recommended over and over again on a social media-site, also brings its own problems. One of those is the question of inclusivity and diversity. (Both in books, and authors)
Books by minorities, smaller authors, or from indie publishing houses often gets way less attention than those from bigger authors and big publishing houses. This brings forth a problem about diversity and inclusivity. If everyone keeps reading books by the same authors, published by the same publishing houses, new voices are rarely heard, and when that decline especially affects voices that’s already suppressed.
The typical books that gets recommended, and goes viral, on TikTok often has a lot of the same factors. The mainstream booktok-community, more often than not, is about smut, hot male main characters, and quick plot-developments. (This is not to say that romance – as a genre – is “lesser” than other genres, but I’d need a whole other blog-post to discuss that!) The prose, character development, and clever uses of metaphors and literary devices, often comes in second line. Something that unfortunately can result in books based on tropes and hot guys, rather than quality writing and character development.
I mentioned earlier that books have turned into fast fashion. Instead of reading a quality book, and enjoying it, reading has started to move quicker. People read ten books a week, buy twenty, and gush over the same hot guys with (you guessed it!) brown hair, brown eyes, muscles, and they also have to be above average tall. All of the books are starting to melt into one, and everything becomes the same.
I’ll call this the ctrl c phenomenon.
Reading books is easier than ever, thanks to TikTok. But also different. Even though TikTok creates a community and brings reading to new generations and people, it’s also changing the way we read and the way we regard books. The reading-culture is changing, and I’m not sure about how I feel about it. At the same time, reading has always been a vital organ of any society, and reflected that society for thousands of years. And as long as that continues, and reading continues to be a reflection of our society and community – we can’t blame anyone for it other than ourself. If you don’t want the typical “TikTok-books”, read something else!
