TikTok, made famous for its dozens of videos about entertainment, tutorials and more, also offers a nerdier side: so-called BookTok where content creators discuss anything and everything related to reading and books. While the trend has popularized reading again and perhaps even saved the publishing industry, it has also led to an unnecessary overconsumption of printed books.
A particular trend has emerged on the app where content creators will show off their “book hauls.” The content creators go through each book and talk about what they know about it and their excitement for the book. Of course, I too like to buy books to stock my bookshelves, but I don’t think it’s always wise to buy a book before knowing whether you’ll actually like it. Too often it’ll end up collecting dust on the shelf.
People sometimes buy an entire series at once, only to realize that the first book is a dud. In the end, they’re left with a bunch of books that they won’t ever read. It’s an even worse idea to buy 40 books at once and leave them on an endless to-read list that you’ll never finish. Instead, people should buy books that they’ll want to read and possibly reread and nothing more.
No doubt many BookTokers are actually passionate about their recommendations and reading choices, but I also think a lot of the conspicuous consumption of books is due to peer pressure. When influencers see other influencers getting millions of views from their “book haul” videos or showing off special editions, they too want to hop on this trend to gain views. They encourage their audience to spend copious amounts of money on books they might never read.
Similarly, when publishers put out special editions of books where the only aspect that is different is the cover, I can’t help but to feel like it is nothing more than a cash grab. I can kind of understand when an author publishes just one special edition of a book, but when authors like Alex Aster put out four different editions of books “Summer in the City: a novel,” where the thing that makes it “special” is the color of the sprayed edges and the people on the cover, it feels like a dishonest marketing ploy to readers.
To be sure, there’s nothing wrong with collecting books. I love the fact that BookTok is encouraging people to read and support their favorite authors. But at some point, buying books becomes more about the aesthetic so that content creators can show off their pretty bookshelves on TikTok or Instagram. Public libraries exist for a reason. There’s no need to buy every book you read and encourage extreme consumerism — sometimes it’s enough to just read a book without feeling the need to collect it.
