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Buffalo Street Books

January 27, 2025

Bye Bye BookTok: An Examination of the Pros and Cons

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Walking into bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million, the average customer cannot help but notice the tables laid out with modern, sleek books under the sign “BookTok.” Coming onto the literary scene only recently, BookTok is a subsection of the larger platform TikTok; this subsection has become a haven for readers and writers alike wishing to engage with content geared toward books. BookTok typically features short videos detailing new book recommendations, reviews and memes, boasting a following of millions of word-lovers. However, with the recent ban passed through Congress and upheld by the Supreme Court, TikTok (and thus BookTok) could be nearing its final moments in the United States. Though Trump signed an executive order pausing the ban, TikTok’s situation is by no means secure, and thus neither is BookTok’s. As with almost all social media platforms, there are drawbacks and benefits to the potential loss of BookTok. Before we readers can decide whether to panic or rejoice, we must first weigh these consequences.

BookTok was born five years ago, when the user @caitbooks coined the term and hashtag. Starting with only a few views and a small following, its popularity has reached incredible heights. With the hashtag reaching billions of views, a community was born. BookTok became the sort of online literary hub that Goodreads and YouTube (“BookTube”) did not have the capacity for — short videos of real people discussing real opinions. Creators found an outlet for expressing love for certain works, and viewers found niche, individualized content. However, BookTok users now worry about the future of their circle. Though online groups could be replaced with in-person gatherings, the global aspect of BookTok will no longer be accessible. BookTok allows for the widespread exchange of ideas that local communities cannot always provide. Readers can currently find others with similar tastes with only a few clicks on a screen, opening up a world of words and friends. In a BookTok-less future, it is not guaranteed that the same environment could be recreated. 

Yet, the abandonment of online dependence can also be seen as a positive aspect of the loss of BookTok. Without the ability to rely upon the convenience of a screen, readers could turn back to in-person modes of connecting. Local book clubs might see an increase, creating smaller, more personal conversations and relationships. Public libraries could take advantage of a new gap to fill, drawing larger crowds and opening up doors to those who might otherwise not have taken part through sponsoring events and meetings. Regardless of the outcome or the repercussions, readers should still strive to foster closer, more inclusive places for books to be valued together, online or in person.

However, BookTok does not necessarily stand in opposition to in-person, physical spaces. Most notably, BookTok has contributed to rises in physical book sales, like how brick-and-mortar stores adopted the term BookTok in marketing plans and store displays. BookTok has spawned massive amounts of excitement for particular titles and authors, and the very nature of BookTok content has pushed readers toward physical copies of their favorite books. How? Creators often pride themselves on the aesthetics of personal bookshelves, utilizing paper copies in their videos and background displays. Viewers see this and want their own pretty books and stylistically organized shelves. This trend has been capitalized on by publishers through the creation of beautifully designed covers and page edges for popular books, often decorated to the max with bright colors and symbols linked to the story. Ultimately, bookstores profit and continue to survive the technological age. 

Unfortunately, this benefit has a negative component. “Trendy” books are given more emphasis as they become the bigger sellers, leaving books not yet noticed by BookTok in the dust. Additionally, only certain genres are usually displayed on BookTok, mostly including fantasy, thrillers and romance. Classic literature is often completely left off the platform, which favors more modern titles. Reading can also become more of a checklist and an aesthetic hobby than an intellectually stimulating pursuit. Instead of searching for books with the best literary merit, BookTok can lead to a competition of who has the prettiest bookshelf, regardless of the titles within. This is a problem inherent to the format of BookTok; in comparison to the reading community on Goodreads, BookTok gains appeal from visual elements. Goodreads, though still contributing to the checklist mentality through fueling competitions over who can read more quantities of books, does not have the capacity BookTok has with the use of videos. Besides the issues arising around the books themselves, BookTok’s presence in the print industry can lead to the birth of author celebrities. Writers can become valued more as a brand than as an artist. They can be under pressure to reveal private details and open their life to the public. Authors can overshadow the writing of their books, generating popularity contests where written words should instead be the focus. Luckily, some authors have attempted to push back against these expectations and trends, most notably Sally Rooney, who keeps her life out of the scrutinizing public eye. Though prevalent on BookTok with such works as Normal People, Rooney has told interviewers about her decision to be a “social media recluse” and the way she stands in opposition to personal branding. Rather, Rooney lets her books speak for themselves. The drawback to BookTok’s involvement in a print revival can thus be counteracted by a change in mindset, as demonstrated by Rooney and hopefully, in the future, many more authors and readers alike.

Taking into account how BookTok’s removal will affect reading in our current age, I think that balance is important going forward. There is no need to panic, nor is there no need to jump for joy at the loss of an entire community. If BookTok finds a way to live on, whether through a different app or the complete removal of all threats of the ban, then the many positives involved with it will be retained. Yet, even if it continues to exist, readers should still try to engage with each other in real life and shape the culture of BookTok to lessen writer celebrity and increase book diversity. Whatever happens, happy reading.

Jane Locke is a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].