#BookTokMadeMeReadIt: young adult reading communities across an international, sociotechnical landscape
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-07-2022-0086 |
| Published date | 30 November 2022 |
| Date | 30 November 2022 |
| Pages | 705-722 |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services |
| Author | Marianne Martens,Gitte Balling,Kristen A. Higgason |
#BookTokMadeMeReadIt: young
adult reading communities
across an international,
sociotechnical landscape
Marianne Martens
School of Information, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
Gitte Balling
Department of Communication,
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and
Kristen A. Higgason
School of Information, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
Abstract
Purpose –This research article presents an exploratory case study of the sociotechnical landscape of
BookTok, and how youngpeople use it to connect with others around the books they love,or those they love
to hate. By observing the interplaybetween young people, books, and the technology (TikTok) that connects
them, this studyaims to explore how blending analog and digital media tools makes readingsocial and fun.
Design/methodology/approach –The authors selected three bestsellers available in English and
Danish, and BookTokers who maderelated videos. This study used a qualitative, ethnographic (Pink,2021)
approach to explore interactions on the app. Inductive coding (Saldaña, 2021) helped the authors identify
themes, and connectto areas of inquiry.
Findings –During the pandemic, TikTok and BookTok offered young people opportunities for reading
engagementin social, bookish communities by using technologyto promote reading in print. In doing so, their
actionsmade reading and being a reader highly entertaining.
Research limitations/implications –As an exploratory case study, this researchis not generalizable.
But the findings will apply to futurework on reading, publishing, and connected learning in a sociotechnical
landscape.
Practical implications –BookTok connects print and digital formats, offering innovative possibilities
for young people’sconnected learning and reading promotion in schools and libraries.
Originality/value –Because TikTok is a relatively new tool, and its sub-community BookTok became
popularduring the COVID-19 pandemic, research on this topic is stillin its earliest stages.
Keywords BookTok, Reader Engagement, Affect, Connected learning, Sociotechnical landscape,
Affordances, COVID-19
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction and context
Before digital technologies enabled social reading opportunities, readers could engage in
shared reading experiencesby participating in literary activities and eventssuch as reading
groups, book clubs, literaryfestivals, and book talks, many of which took place in andwere
organized by public librariesor bookstores. Today, these activities still take place in person,
but also in digital or hybrid spaces, and readers read books in a sociotechnical landscape
#BookTok
MadeMeReadIt
705
Received2 July 2022
Revised19 September 2022
5 October2022
Accepted10 October 2022
Informationand Learning
Sciences
Vol.123 No. 11/12, 2022
pp. 705-722
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-07-2022-0086
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/2398-5348.htm
that includes multiple digital devices. Whether they prefer print or digital devices, readers
communicate their taste via social media platforms, and peer-to-peer recommendations are
shared across reading communities on a large scale, via publishers’websites or authors’
home pages, but also on user-generated forums such as LibraryThing, StoryGraph, or
Goodreads (Hajibayova, 2018;Murray, 2018). Emerging social platformsfurther change the
landscape around books and readers, as information about books and readers’taste is
visibly disseminated across social media channels from YouTube (BookTube), Instagram
(Bookstagram) and especially among young readers, on TikTok (BookTok). It is not
surprising that young adult readers are considered to be early adopters when it comes to
embracing social media platforms to talk about books and reading (Gardner and Davis,
2014;Jenkins, 2009;Palfrey and Gasser, 2008;Reddan, 2022). But despite many young
people having access to multipledigital platforms, most young readers still prefer to readin
print formats (Faverio and Perrin, 2021;Lohand Sun, 2018). The first and second author of
this paper have researched digital reading and emerging formats over the last decade, and
first learned about TikTok and BookTokduring the pandemic. This article presented us the
opportunity to conduct an exploratory case study about how Booktokers use the
affordances of TikTok (and the BookTok sub-community) to share books and readerly
identities. The article alsoserves as the first in a larger study on BookTok’sinfluence on the
sociotechnical,literary landscape.
1.1 “The Bookternet:”BookTube, Bookstagram, and BookTok
Rachel Ferschleiser coined the term “Bookternet”to describe online literary culture
(McArdle, 2016) encompassing international, online, book-based communities, from
Pinterest, Tumblr, and Twitter, to BookTube (a YouTube sub-community), and
Bookstagram (a hashtag community on Instagram), all of which set important precedents
for BookTok. According to Ellis (2021), the BookTube community emerged on YouTube
around 2010, and since then, it has grown from a small community of readers to a sub-
culture of its own (Birke and Fehrle, 2018;Reddan, 2022), BookTubers take on the role of
reading-based influencers who vlog, sometimes at great length, about books. In contrast,
those participating in Bookstagram present tasteful scenes related to books, from shelfie
displays, to readers holding books (Reddan, 2022). Compared to lengthy BookTube videos,
Bookstagram users share aesthetic and personal images (Thomas, 2021). BookTok is a
relative newcomer with affordancesthat present a low entry for participation. In contrast to
BookTube and Bookstagram, BookTok content feels chaotic, impulsive, high-energy, and
provides a multi-sensoryexperience.
1.2 Profit models: what motivates participation?
While creators on YouTube and Instagram have significant opportunities to make money
from advertisers, this is not the case on TikTok, as TikTok does not shar e advertising income
with content creators. BookTokers based in certain countries who have over 10,000 followers
and 100,000 views on a video can apply for the TikTok creator fund and if accepted, can
receive payment. Thereis also a tipping link whichviewers can click to send atip to a video
creator, and creators receive 100% of any tips sent to them (TikTok, 2022, Getting Paid). Since
financial gain is uncertain, BookTokers may be more interested in the social and cultural
capital (Bourdieu, 1984) gained when making and disseminating videos, as well as the
opportunity to become bookish influencers or micro-celebrities (Khamis et al., 2016). Because
the profit earnedis small or non-existent (at leastas of this writing),BookTokers areperceived
to be making videos for the love of books, rather than for profit,whichinturnlends
authenticity to their videos.
ILS
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