Many lament that TikTok has ruined the brains and attention span of the younger generation - especially as they have come up in the age of social media and technology - and do not know a life without it.
In a life where the average video on the app is about 30 seconds, I can't lie and say I don't understand why it would be difficult to sit attentively through a half an hour video without getting distracted and using your phone. Studies have concluded that TikTok has, in fact, ruined the attention span of the younger generation.
However, all hope is not lost. The subgroup on TikTok referred to as #BookTok has encouraged thousands, if not tens of thousands of young people to pick up books (and eBooks respectively) and start reading. The hashtag has amassed 88.6 BILLION views since 2020 and is only continuing to grow. It has given even bigger platforms to authors like Colleen Hoover, who wrote the best sellers 'It ends with us', 'Ugly love' and 'Verity'. Initially released in 2016, the former hit the number one spot on the New York Times' bestseller list this year, and has remained on the list for 78 weeks, and this is largely due to BookTok. The community comes together to review, recommend and read a plethora of books, the main genres being romance and thrillers. Hoover did have a platform before TikTok, but there is no denying that a lot of her success is as a result of BookTok.
BookTok has turned the publishing industry around, traditionally being old school in its marketing style, transforming an online fandom into real success. Many authors have started relying on Booktok creators such as @abbysbooks and @larryreads in order to market their books and appeal to the wider public.
Take Ali Hazelwood for example, an Italian neuroscientist turned romance novel writer. Her debut novel and TikTok phenomenon, 'The Love Hypothesis' was a NYT bestseller. The book's hashtag #TheLoveHypothesis has almost 500 million views on TikTok, and Hazelwood has gone on to release three more books this year. As part of a marketing strategy, Hazelwood sent the book to a few BookTok creators pre-release, and they created buzz around the book and gave their ratings, creating anticipation for when the book came out, and since its release in September 2021, the book has sold 750,000 print copies.
The demographic of romance novel readers ten years ago was 35-54, and has transformed in the last few years to 18-54. The influence of BookTok in this is undeniable. Apps like TikTok have transformed hobbies like reading, which have typically been attributed to being 'nerdy' and 'geeky', to now being cool and celebrated. Alisa Sufaj, an avid reader said: ''I like reading because because it gives me escapism, but Booktok has influenced me more so on romance because I always read fantasy." Gen-Z has transformed the world of reading, making it fun and relatable for all; but especially young women and girls. Many of them, like Alisa, use reading as a coping mechanism, looking for a happily-ever-after in a world that is full of sorrow and turmoil.
No longer relying on a select few boring and biased critics to decide whether to read a book or not, BookTok has opened a space for people of all ages and interests to give their unfiltered opinion and open discourse surrounding all sorts of books and topics. It has birthed a beautiful and diverse community, created long life friendships and soared careers.