According to the Publishers Association, 59 percent of 16-25-year-olds say BookTok has helped them discover a passion for reading. Reading, once considered a “nerdy” or outdated hobby, has made a major comeback within this age group. This is mainly due to the social media subcommunity, Booktok, which has allowed reading to be more accommodating and relevant to the younger generations. 

Starting around the Covid-19 pandemic, Booktok has been steadily increasing in viewers and creators and has had a particularly high impact on the 16-25 year old population. #Booktok has over 36 million videos and has accumulated around 220 billion views since its creation (this is as of late 2024–so the numbers have likely increased). The platform has given a community to both readers and authors to transform book recommendations into viral sensations. 

Unfortunately, many people still go through life saying, “I hate reading” or “ I don’t want to read.” Most of us have probably lied on an elementary school reading log at one time or another. 

Thankfully, the addition of digital marketing through “Booktok” has changed the reading industry and brought a resurgence of reading, outside of academics, within the younger generation. Reading is gradually being less associated as an academic requirement and more as a form of expression and entertainment. 

Personally, I have always loved reading, but a part of me thought it was “weird”  and “nerdy,” so I did not do it often. Booktok was not necessarily the thing that made me begin to read, but it certainly made me read a lot more and pick it back up more seriously when I was older. I went from reading around 8-10 books a year to reading 30-40 books a year. And I am not alone in this increase–many have experienced a similar change after joining BookTok. 

E-Books

A recent development in the reading industry, called E-books, allows books to be available in an instant, and often makes books more accessible due to their costs being generally significantly lower than physical books. 

LHS Librarian Mrs. Hedin explained, “at first it seemed like e-books were not popular amongst the younger kids, with most opting for the physical books, but I have begun to see more and more kids reading e-books.” 

Personally, I am not a huge e-book reader, however, I do think they have significantly increased the number of readers by bringing a new alternative to physical books. E-books make reading easier for people with vision or other issues that might hinder them from reading, such as text enlargement, different background colors, and text colors, etc. 

Audiobooks

Audiobooks have also made their way into many readers’ lives. Apps like Audible allow “readers” to download one book per month, and then they can purchase more at a discounted price.

“I love audiobooks,” said Charles Cangemi, English teacher. “Whenever I go on a road trip, I will pass the time with a good story. I particularly like autobiographies where the author reads this book him or herself.”

Sierra Williams, avid reader for 2 years and junior at LHS, claims that “bookTok has made me start listening to audiobooks more recently.” 

Audiobooks allow readers to listen and enjoy novels while multitasking (driving, cooking, etc). This has proven to be a benefit for the “reading is too boring” crowd, because they can now enjoy a story while also doing other activities. Audiobooks offer flexibility for people with busy schedules. 

A Second Life for Books

A huge benefit of BookTok and this digital age is that authors now have an easier way to market their books and increase their sales. Many books are able to get a “second life” as Mrs. Hedin put it, as a result. 

Many books were doing okay when they were initially released: most got mediocre sales and profits, then a popular “booktoker” would post a review, which would instantly be spread through the vast social media audience. Before BookTok, readers relied on personal recommendations from libraries, bookstores, or family and friends, often limiting them to certain genres. Booktok and social media, however, broaden readers’ exposure to other genres that may differ from their typical preferences.

A book that Mrs Hedin mentioned benefited was We Were Liars by E Lockhart. She claims, “The book did alright at first [released in 2014] but once booktok became popular, I kept getting requests for it often.”  This book, due to its abundance of readers, is now being made into a movie by Prime Video. We Were Liars is one of many books that have gotten a “second-life” as a result of BookTok. 

Even classic literature has seen a resurgence. Booktok’s ability to “revive” books is having a considerable impact on older classic books, with many finding their way back to bestseller lists around the country decades or even centuries following their release. Novels such as The Great Gatsby and Little Women have seen huge increases in sales and popularity due to movies being made and the books resurfacing, as a result, on social media. 

Financial Benefits 

Before the pandemic, bookstores–namely Barnes and Noble–were struggling to stay open. Barnes and Noble had closed around 400 bookstores. Barnes and Noble opened around 30 stores in 2023, 57 stores in 2024, and there are plans to open around 60 in 2025. In just 2023, the 30 new stores surpassed the number of new stores opened from 2009-2019. 

According to the New York Times, books that trend on BookTok average a 500% increase in book sales. The dramatic increase in book sales has allowed authors’ careers to flourish, and their previously overlooked books to achieve unexpected levels of success. 

Breaking the Stigma? 

Is BookTok breaking the stigma around reading? The answer is not clear yet. Personally, I feel like with books being more widespread to people who might have never read, it is decreasing the “nerd” allegations and the outdated view that only “nerds” enjoy reading. 

Some, like Sierra Williams, believe that “people still think when people read it’s associated with being a nerd.” 

While I do not think people’s opinions of reading are ever going to fully change, the young generation–the next generation of adults–are leading the world in a step in the right direction in reducing the stereotypes surrounding reading.