American Letters Will Endure the End of “BookTok”
TikTok is democracy in its rawest form. All that matters on the video-sharing platform is mass appeal and virality (so long as it does not offend the sensibilities of the Chinese Communist Party). The app debases its users to anonymous atoms, equal to everyone else, only powerful insofar as they belong to a crowd. Content succeeds on TikTok not because it is inherently good, but rather because it is merely popular. As with so many corners of the Internet, the leveling force of online democracy reduces the people to the lowest common denominator.
This mob-spirit inspired by the app has been on full display in recent weeks as large portions of America’s youth descended into hysterics over its uncertain future. Reactions from publicly melting down to allegedly planning literal acts of terrorism make clear that too many young people have an unhealthy dependence on TikTok. These are the sad outbursts of addicts, and even leaving aside serious national security concerns they vindicate Congress’s decision to move for greater restrictions.
But the freakout has not been limited to the youth. According to a recent Washington Post feature, some of America’s bestselling novelists are terrified that a blackout could spell doom for their careers. The Post reports that a segment of TikTok’s users, who call themselves “BookTok,” “has become a dominant commercial force in publishing.” They discover new books on the app, mostly romance, fantasy, and thrillers, and buy them in the millions. Some industry experts even believe that the viral bestsellers of “BookTok” have revitalized physical bookstores such as Barnes & Noble. But now authors and publishers are worried this growing group of readers will dissipate with the potential decline of their favorite app, leaving them without a market to sell their books.
We should, however, welcome the end of this pernicious force in American letters. While some may instinctively want to applaud anyone for opening a book when reading is in desperate decline, the kinds of work “BookTok” promotes are for the most part unworthy of any sort of celebration. Its collapse would be an opportunity to advance the cause of genuine literature. American letters deserve more than obscene fiction, bad prose, and videos that cannibalize viewers’ attention spans. The collapse of “BookTok” could be a moment to push for cultural renewal.
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