It’s no secret that Gen Z has a literacy problem. Countless studies, essays and op-eds have been published about the younger generation’s abject disinterest in reading; some going so far to argue that a concerning amount of young people are functionally illiterate or struggle with reading comprehension.  

Amid all the doomerism, communities that actively encourage hobby reading and facilitate discussion about literature seem like a lighthouse in the fog. “BookTok,” the largest and most accessible of these communities, arose during quarantine on TikTok and has sustained its momentum for the past six years with the help of dedicated influencers and content creators. Publishers now decorate their book covers with “As Seen on BookTok” stickers, monthly subscription boxes cater to novels trending online and several BookTok classics have received TV and film adaptations. There hasn’t been social incentive to engage with literature like this in years, if not decades.  

But I don’t think the members of BookTok are doing a lot of actual reading.  

The dominant exports of BookTok often fall under the “romantasy,” romcom, or dark romance genres, which generate popularity through smutty plots and easily accessible tropes. A BookTok review of “Fourth Wing” described it as an enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity romance novel with a “spice rating” of three chili peppers. Few plot details or relevant themes were mentioned.  

BookTok members are largely unconcerned with the merit of a book’s content and instead focus on what’s most likely to entertain audiences. This hedonistic obsession with personal enjoyment often ignores the value of literary devices. “Is it acceptable to skip long paragraphs like detailed descriptions in order to get to dialogue/interesting scenes?” confessed one BookToker in a Q&A. “How much symbolism can there be in the color of curtains?”  

The BookTok model of consumption is not dissimilar from the short form video platform it hails from. The community curates an algorithm designed to provide readers with immediate satisfaction. They are not challenged by what they read. They are not forced to confront ideas they are unfamiliar with. And the platform frequently encourages audiences to stay within their comfort zone by providing an endless slew of similar or identical novels to choose from.   

While reading can (and should be) a fun activity, I believe a lot of its value comes from engaging with different perspectives and being exposed to different ideas. When readers approach novels with the shallow expectation of what entertainment value it can provide, they are missing out on some fundamental aspects of literature. They are creating a vapid form of literacy. There’s nothing wrong with romance, but BookTok and beyond have to consider them as books — not a dressed-up alternative to their homepage feed.