*The opinions expressed within the content are solely the author’s and do not reflect the website’s or its affiliates’ opinions and beliefs.
Online book recommendation communities were meant to help readers discover and enjoy new books, but lately they’ve grown into something darker. Instead of encouraging curiosity, these communities often pressure people to read only trending novels, punishing unpopular books. The culture surrounding book recommendations is actively becoming more toxic, and it’s negatively affecting what and how people read.
One prominent example is Bookstagram, the Instagram corner dedicated to books. Its current culture serves as a breeding ground for toxicity, focusing on aesthetics and overconsumption. Many creators struggle to read new books quickly and often end up treating reading as a chore rather than a pleasure. This has been leading to rapid burnout among creators who try to balance reading, posting and engaging with followers at once.
Furthermore, viewers tend to focus more on the content creators rather than the books themselves. One bookstagrammer, Aysha Kulsum, admits from his experience that more romanticized posts attract more followers, regardless of the novel.
Along with creators, viewers are under significant pressure as well. On BookTok, a TikTok community where users share videos about books, many users feel compelled to read what’s trending to stay relevant, even if those particular books don’t align with their reading tastes. Furthermore, BookTok promotes negative reading habits, such as overconsumption, by glorifying “book hauls,” a trend that shows off expansive, largely unread personal libraries. Instead of focusing on the literature itself, BookTok emphasizes the aesthetics and romanticizes the idea of loving to read rather than reading and enjoying the books themselves. This is particularly evident in its representation of reading as performative, where people now focus more on their identity and being known as a reader than on reading itself.
Despite these harms, some may argue that both BookTok and Bookstagram still help authors increase the visibility of their novels. BookTok, for instance, has driven large sales for authors and boosted interest in reading. While it’s true that BookTok and Bookstagram offer exposure and community, those benefits are often outweighed by the many harmful side effects. Book trends are often artificial due to paid promotions and fake praise. This diverts content from genuinely interesting or unique books and reduces the likelihood that lesser-known writers will blow up on social media.
Ultimately, online book recommendation communities aren’t just about sharing books. They pressure viewers into reading genres they’re not interested in and promote severe overconsumption. While these platforms can help some discover new books they’ll enjoy, the harms of the toxicity and consumerism outweigh the benefits. For reading to be genuinely fun and meaningful, viewers should step back from the hype and read books they’re interested in, rather than letting social media decide for them.
