When the Kindle was first released in 2007, many predicted that this would lead to a new digital age of reading, making hard-copy books obsolete. However, over a decade later, book sales have nearly doubled from 2020 to 2021 thanks to a new social media trend: BookTok. BookTok carved out a niche where people could celebrate and share the books they love. While many initially viewed this trend as a positive thing, in 2025, people have begun to call out the numerous problems with this trend.
“I discovered BookTok in 2021,” WCHS senior Thao Nguyen said. “It has recommended various types of books from all different genres that have motivated me to read more books and more different kinds of books.”
There are obvious benefits to the resurgence of reading. It has reinvigorated failing bookstores as people flock to these places looking for popular and trending books. For self-published authors, BookTok gives them a platform to reach a wider audience. Not only that, but it has also allowed people to branch out and discover new book genres they would not have previously been interested in.
“I was recommended ‘Carrie Soto is Back’ by Taylor Jenkins Reid from BookTok,” Nguyen said. “I loved this book and it has led me to discover Reid’s other books which I also really enjoyed.”
Despite these benefits, BookTok has become increasingly worse over time. The romance genre has always been an integral part of this online space, making up the majority of book recommendations, but recently the recommendations have become more and more problematic. These books tend to contain incredibly explicit content, while they have cartoonish covers that confuse and mislead readers as to what they are actually buying.
“I think BookTok can be dangerous because children get on the platform and are recommended books that are not appropriate for them,” Nguyen said. “These kids have their parents buy them potentially inappropriate books because they are fooled by these covers.”
There is also a lack of diversity for the majority of BookTok. The majority of stories that become popular are incredibly formulaic, trope-ridden romances. While tropes are not inherently bad, they have become overused to the point that many are tired of them. However, this lack of diversity becomes most apparent when looking at the most popular book characters on TikTok. The bulk of these main characters and the authors of these characters are white women.
“I think that on BookTok there is a lack of nuance and intersectionality when these authors try to tackle feminist issues,” WCHS senior Riya Menon said. “I think this is mainly because BookTok focuses too much on white authors and ignores other authors who have meaningful stories to tell.”
Aside from the problematic storylines and lack of diversity, there is another issue with BookTok: consumerism. A major part of the platform has become “book hauls” where influencers buy hundreds of books they may never end up reading. These extreme shopping habits influence regular people to spend a ridiculous amount of money on books just for show.
“One of the main types of content I see on TikTok is book hauls,” Nguyen said. “I feel like this content often pressures people into buying books that they may not enjoy. There are a lot of alternatives to buying books, but BookTok often ignores the benefits of places like libraries in favor of this extreme consumerism.”
These BookTok influencers also advertise the sheer amount of books they read each year, which often ranges from 100 to 200 books. Obviously, if reading is someone’s full-time job then they will read much more than the average person. However, many people balancing full-time jobs or school feel pressured to read more which can lead to burnout for a hobby that should be fun.
“Through BookTok, I feel pressured to read more,” Nguyen said. “I see people say they read five books a day and it makes me feel bad because I am a slow reader and usually read like five books in five months. I also think it is hard to really enjoy a book if you are constantly rushing to the next one.”
Although there are many problems with BookTok, at its core it is a good thing. In an increasingly digital age, it is refreshing to see people enjoying physical books. BookTok needs to face its many problems and can start improving in order to continue attracting more potential readers.
“I like that there is a dedicated place on social media to encourage reading,” Nguyen said. “I think we just need to ensure that it is a more welcoming and open place for everyone interested in reading.”
