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BookTok Inspires Youth to Ditch Phones for Books
8 Feb
Summary
- Young adults spend over six hours daily online, struggling with reading engagement.
- The TikTok community BookTok encourages reading and reduces screen time.
- Popular BookTok trends have revitalized older books and introduced new bestsellers.
Young adults are spending significant time online, with 18 to 24-year-olds averaging six hours and 20 minutes daily. This trend impacts reading engagement, with less than a third of young Scots enjoying reading in their spare time. The viral TikTok community, BookTok, is emerging as a powerful force in encouraging a shift back to books.
BookTok, a vibrant space for book lovers, shares reviews and recommendations, particularly for romance, young adult fiction, and 'romantasy' genres. This has led to older books becoming bestsellers and popular titles gaining significant online interaction. For individuals like 18-year-old Amy Laird, BookTok was a turning point, helping her reduce daily phone usage from seven hours to a more balanced habit of reading regularly.
Students like Isabella Potamitis Briozzo and James Green have also found BookTok instrumental in decreasing screen time and rebuilding reading habits. Briozzo reads for hours before bed and discovered her favorite series through the platform. Green, who has ADHD, finds the short-form content a helpful gateway to forming a consistent reading routine. Even those pursuing literature academically, like Caroline Cronjaeger, have found inspiration through online book communities.
