IN FALL, nothing is better than cozying up with a nice book and a warm drink—and BookTok knows this too. The online community of book lovers, whose name is a compound of “books” and the social media app “TikTok,” is busy sharing their fall reads through short-form videos. BookTokkers today have grown a large following, even influencing BookTok-themed displays in offline bookstores and convincing more people to read. However, the community’s toxic side is becoming difficult to ignore.

Aesthetic reading

   Like any other content online, BookTok videos—or “BookToks”—are visually appealing. To be favored by the algorithm and receive views, videos must follow a proper style of presentation, including the book’s looks, the person reading it, the soundtrack, and the witty title[1]. The trend of annotating books using pens and sticky notes further emphasizes how reading is a visual performance by BookTokkers rather than an appreciation of the literature itself. BookToks on how to annotate “aesthetically” explain the complicated process scribbling color-coded comments in the margins while reading, even in lighthearted romance or humor books that do not require any citation. One BookTokker mentions that they are “re-tabbing” a book because the tabs “stick out too much” and need to match the color scheme of the book cover. Another user goes as far as to suggest readers wear a matching outfit depending on the genre of the book just to “get in the mood.” These arbitrary social media trends get the BookTokkers labeled as “certified bookworms” within the community, causing an obsession with reading as a means to confirm and boast one’s identity[2]. Users feel pressured to join these trends to get validated as a real book lover, replacing the act of reading with the superficial act of being a “reader” and showing it off for online approval—distracted from the book itself and discouraged from reading however they like. 

Limited choices in reading

   Due to the algorithm’s bias toward videos of a certain style, recommendations on BookTok end up being similar. Attention-grabbing and swoon-worthy quotes are taken out of context and edited with dreamy music to promote the book. This has catapulted certain titles to popularity, including The Love Hypothesis, Normal People, and It Ends with Us. Despite success on BookTok, however, their content is often subject to controversy. For example, It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover, which features heavy topics such as sexual assault and domestic abuse, has been criticized for its harmful narrative that is forgiving towards abusers[3]. The recommendations also center on Caucasian Anglophone authors and narratives, raising concerns over a lack of diversity in proposed reading choices. However, debating these matters is not possible in short-form videos, as reviews and discussions are restricted to a sentence or less. Given that most TikTok users are teenagers or young adults, such limited reading choices may have a detrimental effect on forming their social views[1]. Readers must consciously expose themselves to a wide selection, perhaps challenging themselves to read translated literature from around the globe as proposed by YouTuber Jack Edwards. Alternatives to short, ambiguous BookTok reviews may be online discussion forums or face-to-face book clubs to better review literature.

Consumerist reading

   Besides aesthetic edits, another popular type of BookToks is “book haul” videos, where BookTokkers go through piles of newly-purchased books, sometimes sponsored by publishers[2]. The “hauls” are followed by “unhauls” where they pick out books to throw out or donate. This cycle of buying, consuming, and trashing piles of books resembles fast fashion, as books are treated like cheap commodities to bulldoze through. Reading has become a consumerist and materialist practice, leaving readers no time to digest and savor each story. Additionally, many BookTokkers set personal “yearly reading goals” ranging from 50 to 100 books, adding a competitive element to the hobby. Those who meet their goals are congratulated in the comments, while those who finish one book a month are called “not a real reader[4].” Slower readers are pressured to find short books to add to the tally, which explains why the algorithm boosts “short read recommendations” every December. Some users are standing up against this suffocating, quantity-over-quality nature of BookTok; one went viral for speaking up on how numbers do not define how much of a “good reader” they are, asserting that “the lifestyle of reading … and buying 50 books a month is unattainable for the average person[4].” 

Though the online community has its positives, the aforementioned faults of BookTok are unfortunately only the tip of the iceberg. To foster healthy reading habits, readers must be mindful of what they take away from BookToks and seek diverse insights.

[1] Mashable

[2] GQ

[3] Insider

[4] Dazed