In August of 2018, TikTok, a video-sharing app, made its debut to American users and quickly became one of the most popular social media platforms of all time capturing the attention of various age groups and social circles.
As a result of its diverse user base, TikTok alone can be credited for upticks in fashion fads, social justice movements and lifestyle crazes. One of the most recent trends sweeping the app is known as “BookTok.” BookTok encompasses a constantly growing online community of readers who use their platforms to review recent reads, recommend favorites and encourage other users to read more.
The way Booktok encourages users to consume more literature paints a streak of hope across a generation that is feared to be plagued by technology. However, it is imperative to question why it took an addictive source of dopamine to bring back young people’s interest in literature. Make no mistake, TikTok is addictive. Its short-term content provides immediate satisfaction which encourages users to keep scrolling.
Another questionable aspect of the BookTok community is its possible encouragement of overconsumption. Viewers are sucked into a sense of community and togetherness on the common ground of reading the most popular new releases, leading to spontaneous and unnecessary book purchases. This is evidenced by a frequent microtrend within BookTok, the “unhaul,” where creators purge countless books from their collections. Mostly, this is due to not enjoying the book, not wanting to reread it in the future, or never having read the book and having no intention of reading it in the future.
In the defense of these creators, unhauls are not the “Fahrenheit 451” levels of destruction critics make them out to be. Most of the time unhauled books are donated or resold.
Regardless, the nudge BookTok gives to buy any book that sounds conceptually interesting is problematic. Likewise, the action of purchasing directly after absorbing dopamine-induced TikTok content adds an entirely new level to the cycle of habitual and chronic consumption of media and goods.
Certain ramifications of prolonged social media exposure have become more apparent in recent years. Not only are there massive amounts of research being conducted on the psychological and social deficits caused by excessive use of social media, but there are everyday signs of it as well. Take, for instance, behaviors referred to as doom scrolling and main character syndrome which are anti-social and entitled in their own right.
Ultimately, BookTok asks if it should matter what it takes to get kids to put down their phones and pick up a book.
